A Long Journey
by kuntakintae
Summary: They had won. Peace is restored. With their century-old mission completed, the Broken Princess and the Amnesiac Hero are left to pick up the broken pieces of their lives from an age-long worth of regrets, grief and emptiness.
1. Chapter 1

**To be honest, I had a lot of difficulty even writing this first chapter. It has been a long time since I've written anything- or even studied- and my English is a bit rusty.**

 **I do have a rough idea of what I want to do with this story, but personally, I feel that I'm not really getting the 'flow' of the story very well right now. I might edit in the future, but I need to write a bit more first to get back that...skill? I don't know. In the past, I've always managed to write my chapters smoothly, and the flow of the story- to me- was always okay without me having to reread the chapters and mull over it for days.**

 **Nevertheless, I'm still going to try to push on with this new story( and actually complete it) since I really do like Breath of the Wild ALOT, especially Zelda and Link. I find the idea of a hundred year calamity very interesting to build the characters upon, and I do hope I manage to catch the feelings and emotions they will face when they finally start to actually interact with the World and think about their future, instead of being completely preoccupied with the thought of defeating Calamity Ganon.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And if you do have any helpful remarks, please let it be known to me :)**

 **~Kuntakintae**

* * *

 _Loneliness. Fear. Despair._

 _They churned inside her- eating at her from the inside out. Her chest constricted, her breathing laboured._

 _Eyes shut, head bowed, her clasped hands tightened as prayers continued to flow out of her mouth like a never-ending stream._

 _"You've lost," A whisper floated through her ears._

 _"He won't wake up in time."_

 _"You've failed yet again."_

 _"You've failed your champions, your father, your kingdom, HIM."_

 _Her breathing became more erratic, and her body trembled. The power within her was diminishing- she could feel it. The thin film of light that separated her from the hatred and malice was beginning to fade._

 _Calamity Ganon was winning._

 _As she weakened, so did the hope that she held on to. She tried to ignore it, but the doubts she had decided to bury, the uncertainties she had decided to cast away deep into the recesses of her mind and heart began to emerge- like a flood, unstoppable and unrelenting._

 _The frequency of words that flowed out of her mouth increased, and she desperately tried to squeeze out every last drop of the ebbing sealing power within her._

 _It wasn't working._

 _The despair strengthened. The fear grew. And the loneliness- the loneliness inside her was overwhelming. It started to consume her, to rage like a tempest as her mind started to think back- to her friends, to her family, to-_

 _"Please," She pleaded quietly, even as the film of light started to fade. "Please, please, please wake up."_

 _She tried to connect to his slumbering mind, she tried to plead him into awakening._

 _It was hopeless. He didn't stir, and the feeling of failure and loneliness that had haunted her even before Calamity Ganon had awakened thickened inside her._

 _A sob escaped her, and her voice broke. A tear escaped, which only lead to more tears. She could hear the mocking laughter of the malice incarnated from all around her._

 _She had held on. She had tried her best. She thought she could redeem herself, to hold Ganon back for as long as it took for Link to awaken and kill it. She thought that- for once in her life, she could escape from being a failure._

 _It was all for naught._

 _The thin barrier finally faded, and the malice and hatred that had been slowly whittling her sanity and power away for the past hundred years quickly filled up the space that had previously been kept pure by her power._

 _Black substance quickly seeped into her every pore, defiling her. All she could feel was pain. Unimaginable, excruciating pain that_ _ **burned-**_

* * *

With a loud gasp, her body shot up from the ground, trembling and shaking all over. Her white, maiden's dress was completely soaked through with sweat and her hair stuck to her face- moist with a mixture of sweat and tears that flowed like a gentle stream.

It was night- though she did not know how far into it. A cool breeze blew by, causing her already trembling body to quiver like a leaf as a dreary cold seeped into the pores of her body, making the loneliness and grief all the more real. The pathetically thin fabric of her maiden's gown did nothing to help.

Heaving deep breaths, trying to stop the sobs that escaped her mouth, she wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes, trying desperately to calm her palpitating heart, and her roaring mind.

Link _had_ arrived. She had _not_ failed in the end. The malice had not gotten to her- she had held out long enough.

 _Her dream wasn't real._

"Princess?" A soft, concerned, _familiar_ voice floated through the air. She felt a blanket fall upon her shivering shoulders, causing the biting cold to relent just a little.

She lifted her head, her eyes desperately seeking comfort, seeking solace, seeking a confirmation that what she had experienced wasn't real.

Seeking _him._

What met her eyes were another set of eyes- and warmth coursed through her body as she saw the concern that raged like a storm within those blue irises.

"Princess," He repeated himself, concern lacing his voice, and his normally calm face now wearing a worried frown as he kneeled a meter in front of her. "Are you alright?"

His voice was like sweet music to her ears, and his very presence was like a soothing balm on her troubled soul. Slowly, her heart rate began to slow, and the terrifying roars of doubts and fears in her mind quietened down.

It was astounding- a small part of her noted- that even after a hundred years, the effect of his presence, of _him_ on her was as strong as ever. Or perhaps even more so.

Not to mention that the only thing she had for accompany for a hundred years were the mocking whispers of the Malice, trapped deep within the darkness of Calamity Ganon.

When she had first heard his voice- merely half a day ago- and when she had stepped into his presence, exhilaration had coursed through her body, followed by a deep sense of relief and warmth.

"It- it was a nightmare," She croaked softly after a minute or so, her voice shaky and unsteady. She could still hear the echo of haunting whispers, could still feel terror of being surrounded by such _hatred_ and _madness_ and an unending darkness that never seemed to _end-_

"I-I'm sorry," She stuttered, and winced at how utterly _weak_ she sounded, and took a moment to steady her breathing, though the shivering of her body couldn't be controlled. "Did I wake you?"

Link shook his head, his eyes drifting across her body, studying her. She shifted awkwardly, and tried to stop the trembling, and then cursed herself for not being able to.

"You're cold," He stated, and then got up. "Wait here."

Her eyes followed him as he walked towards his horse, and gratefulness filled her as she saw him take out a pile of firewood as well as chunk of flint from the saddlebags. A strong sense of nostalgia hit her as she took in the familiar yet unfamiliar sight.

It truly had been a long time.

Forcing her eyes away from him, she took the time to observe the surroundings- dimly lit only by the soft glow of the full moon hanging above their heads. Bright, twinkling stars filled the night sky- no longer did they have a hint of red, courtesy to Calamity Ganon and the blood moon.

They had been making their way to Kakariko village, where they both agreed was probably the most suitable place for them to rest and recover from the weariness of the long battle. A century was a long time, and she could think of no better place to rest her tired body and mind than the haven of her most trusted people in the past.

At that current moment, they were camping beneath an apple tree along the plains of Hyrule- a short distance away from the ruins of what was once called Mabe Village. They could have gone faster, but Zelda had been so entranced, so lost in being able to finally see again with her own eyes, to smell again, to _feel_ again-

Safe to say, their journey had been a slow one. By the time she realised that the reason for the slow journey was _her,_ the sun had already begun to set. She had felt no small amount of guilt at holding them both back, and apologized profusely to Link.

His reply, however, was simply to shake his head and give her a small smile. _"I understand, Princess,"_ He had replied. _"Please don't apologize."_

Nevertheless, she had felt guilty, and had tried to speed up the travelling speed so that they could make it to the Wetland Stable in time. Evidently, however, she had failed. She had apologized one last time when they stopped for the day, to which Link gave her a rare stern look which immediately caused her to stop spouting apologies from her mouth like a torrent of water.

"Thank you," She said as he started a fire a meter away from her. The soft, orange glow brought about by the flame started to beat away the darkness that surrounded them, and the warmth of the fire steadily overwhelmed the cold. Slowly- thankfully-, her body trembled less and less, before it stopped entirely.

An awkward silence descended upon them as they sat around the fire. One that- she noted sadly- would not be present if it had been a hundred years ago.

They had been close then, and while they had a bad start, she had found a close friend in him, and likewise, he in her.

Perhaps even _more-_

But that was all in the past, and now, an invisible wall had erected between them- a wall of lost memories and fuzzy recollections, a wall so hard to break that she didn't even know if it will ever be surmounted.

It saddened her to the point where she could feel the stinging of tears in her eyes once again, to know that she might never share that kind of friendship she had with him ever again.

She had won, hadn't she? She had held out for a hundred years- long, dreadful, lonely years- keeping Ganon at bay, keeping Hyrule _safe-_

Yet, why did she feel like she had lost?

"If I may, princess," She jumped at the sound of Link's voice, escaping from the dark thoughts that continuously plagued her mind. Her eyes shifted from the dancing flame to him, shooting a questioning glance, holding back the tears that had threatened to fall. "What worries you?"

She could see that he genuinely cared- despite the incomplete recollections of their time together, despite the lost memories that may stay lost forever- and a small ray of hope broke through the dark that encompassed her heart, broke through the guilt and grief that had enshrouded her soul.

It touched her to know that Link- with all that had happened,- still managed to retain the very core qualities that made him who he was.

The quiet kindness, the steady calm, the hidden courage- he still had all of them, and it brought her hope.

She bit the bottom of her lip- a habit that had stuck with her even through a century- as she hesitated. Her eyes returned their focus to the dancing of the flames, and the fingers that held the blanket around her tightened their grip as she contemplated on how to respond.

Oh, how much she wanted to just _pour_ her heart out to him, to just release the floodgates of the emotions and feelings that she held back and hid deep within her.

But she couldn't. Not when he hadn't even fully recovered all of his memories. Not when she didn't even know where she stood in his life.

She did not know how Link thought of her with the current memories he had regained, and she certainly did not want to do or say anything that would put whatever fragile relationship they had between them at risk.

"Nothing of note," She finally replied, her eyes drifting away from him- unable to directly look at him as she lied- and focused them on the sky, ignoring the feeling of his eyes staring right at her. To her surprise, it seemed to be lightening up.

The sight of the sun rising lazily along the horizon took her breath away, and she couldn't help but stare, drinking in the sight and committing as much of it as she can to memory.

As the warm rays of sunshine pushed away the darkness, and as the warmth brought about by the sun beat away the cold that pervaded the land, so did the wonder and amazement that assaulted her conquer the bleak and sombre emotions and thoughts that had been brewing within.

She closed her eyes, basking in the comfortable heat and the warm breeze that had not touched her skin for the longest time.

It was her first sunrise since a hundred years ago.

A peace settled upon her, and a small smile graced her lips.

After a few minutes, she finally opened her eyes, surprisingly feeling much better than she had just an hour ago. Her raging emotions had calmed, and she could no longer feel the cold nor hear the whispers- at least for the current moment.

It was then her stomach growled. _Loudly._ And she inwardly cursed her stomach as a tint of red graced her cheeks. She had not needed food during her imprisonment within Ganon, and had forgotten the feeling of hunger.

"Hungry?" Link's voice floated through the air, and while it sounded as calm and tranquil as his usual tone, she- knowing him well- could sense the underlying amusement that was well hidden. She shot him a small glare which quickly melted away to the sight of the slight, upward curve of his lips.

With the backdrop of the rising sun, along with the gentle breeze that caused the loose strands of his hair to sway along with it as well as the small, yet amused smile on his usually emotionless face, he looked _stunning_.

Not for the first time, she cursed her lack of self-control as yet another hint of red tinted her cheeks.

"You find this amusing," She squinted at him, her voice accusatory. Her heart fluttered as she managed to spot the miniscule, almost undetectable widening of his smile.

She was glad to know that while Link had not recovered all his memories, he still found it comfortable enough to tease- albeit slightly only.

It was a far cry from how they interacted in the past, but it signified hope- that their fractured friendship was not lost cause, that the bridge that connected them could still be rebuilt.

"We should make a move. Wetland stable will have food," He ignored her remark as he picked himself up from the ground, the amused smile gone from his face- though she could still see a hint of amusement in his eyes.

She nodded in agreement, and was about to get up when a calloused hand entered her sight. Her body stilled, and flashbacks of the same sight that had happened so many times long ago appeared in her mind. Again, nostalgia struck, and it took her all her willpower to hold back a tear from escaping her eye.

Slowly, she raised her hand and placed it in his- the very first human contact she had ever since she regained her freedom. Her heart fluttered, and a tremble ran through her being- though Link didn't seem to notice it.

With a strength that she knew well, he gently pulled her to her feet and then helped her up his horse before climbing onto it, positioning himself in front of her as he took the reins.

"Are you comfortable, Princess?" He turned his head to the side, glancing behind to see if she was well-positioned. Mutely, she nodded her head as her arms wrapped around his waist. She was immediately thankful that Link was facing in front, as she knew with utmost certainty that her face was burning red at that current moment.

"We're moving off," Link gave a short warning before flicking the reins and coaxing the horse to take off- which it did without hesitation.

As the wind buffeted her body, as the sun shone its warm rays upon her, as the birds flew overhead with loud chirps and the leaves rustled along with the gentle breeze, and with a certain _someone_ in front of her, Zelda finally stopped hearing the nagging voice at the back of her- worries that she had not yet dare to even _think_ about, of her future, of Link's, of Hyrule's-, and smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'll try updating regularly, but no promises as it depends on how busy my schedule is in army.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Helpful ideas/criticisms would really be appreciated 'cause I'm seeking to improve :)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~Kuntakintae**

* * *

Link stared down at the village, silently observing the happening festival that was going on down below.

From where he was sitting- on the cliffside right in front of _Ta'loh Naeg_ shrine- the sight that his eyes beheld was truly magnificent

Bright, shining lanterns of a multitude of colours lined the sides of the pavements that snaked their way through the village. Decorative banners with wondrous and meticulous designs hung off the edges of the roofs of the houses. Countless platters of delicious-looking delicacies were placed strategically around the village- with a few cooking pots prepared along with them for any soul that wished to create a meal that specifically satiated their personal cravings.

It amazed Link to no end. Never in his wildest dreams would he have ever thought that the Sheikah- well known for their secrecy, stealth and silence- would be able to produce such a festive and rowdy atmosphere.

He liked the peace and quiet up at where he was, though. He was not fond of loud and noisy celebrations, and considered himself to lean more towards the less noisy side of things.

"Are you not going to join the celebration? You _are_ half of the reason why we are celebrating," An aged, female, _familiar_ voice filled with patience and wisdom floated through the air, breaking him out of his musings.

"Impa," He greeted quietly, turning his head to the side and giving her a nod before returning his attention to the village.

"Before and after, you are still the same," He heard her sigh in resignation, and a small smile graced his lips.

Without even a _hint_ of sound, the aged sheikah walked beside him and sat down, her gaze also focusing on the vibrant events down below.

"I have not seen such celebrations being held in a long time," Impa said. "It brings me back to the old days."

A pang of sadness and hollowness him, and his shoulders stiffened slightly before he quickly recovered and relaxed them once again. He hoped that Impa's skill had deteriorated as she aged, but knew that the chances were close to zero and that his actions- no matter how miniscule- would be spotted by the master sheikah.

"I apologise. That was slightly thoughtless of me," Impa said in an apologetic tone. True to his assumptions, she had noticed.

"It's fine," He sighed, and spoke no more as his mind started to swirl with many thoughts- thoughts about his past, about his lost memories, about his family and friends and his times with _her._

"Are your memories returning?" She asked, curiosity lacing her tone. It hit him that the current Impa expressed her emotions much more easily than the Impa he knew back then- or at least what little he could remember about her. It was yet another throbbing reminder of his hundred year stasis, of how everything and everybody had changed while he had slept.

"...Bits and pieces. I regained a few memories of you a few days back- about the training you made me go through," He couldn't help but let a small, wry smile rise up to his face.

When those particular memories suddenly appeared in his mind- along with the pain and torture he had to endure- he couldn't help but feel shivers run down his spine.

He had often wondered how he had mastered the art of stealth as well as movement so well whilst he was travelling on his journey to fight Calamity Ganon.

Now he knew.

A small chuckle drifted through the wind. "You were beaten up so many times. It always took me all my willpower not to snicker at the face you made whenever you were suffering."

Link shot her a sideway glare, but Impa continued to stare down at the village, as though she did not notice his actions. His glare intensified as he _knew_ that Impa was purposely ignoring him, but huffed in exasperation after a while and refocused at the celebration.

His gaze- which had been sweeping across the village- focused on a small figure that was sitting around one of the cooking pots. Due to how far away he was, even with his sharp eyes, he could only tell that it was her due to the slight hint of blonde which was her hair.

"I have been regaining more and more of my memories after meeting her again," Link said.

"Oh?" Impa simply replied, silently prompting him to elaborate. After a few seconds of silence, Link decided to continue, a frown now creasing his forehead.

"Before meeting her, the only memories I recovered were those related to the photos in the slate. After, however..."

"You've been slowly recovering more memories, some completely unrelated to her."

Link's eyes shot to the small figure seated beside him, surprise evident in his eyes.

What she had said was true, but how did she-?

"In case you're wondering," Impa cut off his train of thoughts. "I came up with that hypothesis after hearing that you started to remember bits and pieces."

It was then that Link remembered that besides being excellent in stealth and fighting, Impa was also the head of intelligence for the King in the past. Her mind was probably as sharp as the tip of the master sword on his back.

"So being around her helps you get your memories back." Impa said it more of like a statement instead of a question, but Link nodded in affirmation anyway. Silence reigned for a few more seconds, before Impa sighed and started to speak again.

"Have you come to terms with the deaths of those people you remember?"

Her words struck him like a hammer, and he _almost_ literally felt his breath leave his lungs. Memories that he had purposely hidden deep and stubbornly ignored suddenly rose from the depths of his mind.

 _Nico, the cheerful squire. Michael, the patient cook. Sarah, his shy but kind room keeper._

 _Gone. All gone._

He started to breath heavily and deeply, and closed his eyes as he attempted to recover from the sudden torrent of grief and sadness that rushed into his heart unstoppably.

"I-I'm still coming to terms with it." He replied after his breath steadied and his mind calmed somewhat.

Silence descended upon the two of them, allowing him to lose himself in the depressing thoughts and emotions that roiled within him.

His mind drifted to the precious times he had spent with them.

The times when Nico and him practiced swordplay together.

The times when he and Michael laughed over jugs of beer and delicious tasting food.

The times when Sarah and him went fishing together, and Sarah accidentally fell into the pond.

Countless images flashed across his mind, and along with them came the joy and laughter from those experiences, and then the pain and grief when he realised that they would never happen ever again.

A tear escaped the corner of his eye, sliding down his cheek, leaving a wet track behind. The another escaped, and then another...

After a long, _long_ time, he heaved a weary sigh. His stiff shoulders drooped, and his breathing evened out.

"Are you feeling better, child?" Impa's tone carried a hint of concern, without any sign of judgement or pity- of which he was immensely grateful for.

Impa, while mostly quiet and silent, had always been a sound advisor and trustworthy confidant. It was only because many feared her and did not dare to speak to her that they did not realise this fact.

"Better," Link whispered out so softly that if it was anyone else other than Impa, they wouldn't have heard it. "Thank you."

"It is better to face them then to hide from them," Impa stated after a moment of quiet. Link stayed silent, but slowly nodded his head slowly. He could feel Impa's eyes carefully scrutinising his body from head to toe, trying to glean information from the miniscule details.

"Do you actually _want_ to regain those memories?" Impa finally asked in an inquiring tone. The question hit him like a hammer, and his mind started to run at a hundred miles per hour.

Did he want to remember? It had never really been a question to him. He had assumed right from the start that regaining his memories was a _must_ for him to carry on living.

Through all the confusion of waking up without memories, fighting countless monsters of all kinds and his one-minded pursuit for the master sword and the defeat of Ganon, he had never really mulled over the different options he had to live out the remainder of his life.

Had it not been Impa who brought up this topic, perhaps he never would have thought about it.

"I...I don't really know," Link replied after a short pause. "There are too many emotions and thoughts clouding my mind at the moment, and I can't say for sure that if the answer I give now is the most honest one I have."

He could see Impa nod sagely from the corner of his eye, apparently satisfied with the answer he gave.

"I trust in you to make your own decisions, but-" Impa paused and heaved a deep sigh, causing Link to shift his attention to her.

"But there is one thing that I have to ask of you," Impa continued. When Link kept silent, Impa took it as a sign for her to speak on.

"I ask you...to take care of Zelda."

His eyes widened a fraction, betraying the slight surprise he felt. The topic had come out of nowhere, after all.

Furthermore, Zelda was a sensitive and delicate subject, one that he was completely unprepared to broach upon.

"I'm sure you've noticed. I know you've lost your memories, but I can tell from observing you for the past week- you're worried for her. And I am too."

As she elaborated, his thoughts shifted to Zelda, a small tinge of worry wriggled inside of him.

To the people who had a skin-deep relationship with her, all they would be able to see is a slightly weary, but relieved and content girl.

To him, however, what he saw was completely different.

Or, to be more specific, what his _instincts_ told him.

It was strange. While had had recovered some memories of the past- most of them with her-, he still hadn't recalled much information about her. Yes, he remembered at least _some_ of her personal insecurities and issues- about her feeling of uselessness, about her quarrels with her father.

However, there were many things he still hadn't managed to recover- and many a times, as he observed her, random information would appear in his mind. Examples would be how she always bit her lips when she was unsure about something and about how her eyes would always shift slightly whenever she told a lie.

He often wondered just how close he had been to the princess, to be able to know on an intrinsic level about even the _tiniest_ quirks she possessed, to be able to read her like an open book.

He had guesses, and it always left a bittersweet taste in his mouth- sweet because his guess gave him a warm feeling, but bitter because he couldn't remember.

This was also how he knew that the princess was _not_ doing well.

Being by her side almost all the time gave him unlimited opportunities to observe her. While he did not know _how_ he knew, he could tell that even though Zelda seemed to be recovering well, she wasn't.

The way her eyes always seemed to blank out, the way her shoulders stiffened up at times, the way her smile often did not reach her eyes- he could tell that there was something haunting her, something lurking in the depths of her soul that troubled her to no end.

The scene of her waking up with a loud gasp, eyes wide and body shivering as sweat drenched her body replayed in his mind. It had caused his heart to ache greatly at the sight of her seeming so...broken, though he had hid it behind a calm and composed exterior that betrayed no emotions.

"She's not well," He stated, worry lacing his voice. "But she hides it well."

"It seems that a mere loss of memories is unable to take away the care and concern you have for her," Impa said with a pleased tone, wearing a smile upon her face that seemed to tease him.

"As her appointed knight, it is my duty," A scowl appeared on his face as he replied, though it frustrated him even more when all he got was a knowing smile.

"Perhaps, perhaps," Impa replied, and Link could hear a hint of a smirk in her voice which caused his scowl to deepen further.

"Back to the main point, however," Impa's smile slowly slid off her face as her voice took a more serious tone. "I believe Zelda is being...haunted. In other words, I think she is currently undergoing a period of trauma."

Her words stirred the assumptions and feelings that he had kept hidden and tried to ignore.

"I've thought about it as well." Link replied. "And I had reached the same conclusion."

"Yet-"He paused, and swallowed hard before glaring helplessly at the floor. "Yet I do not have a clue how to help her. With my fragmented memories, there is a fissure in our relationship, and I do not know where I stand in her life as of this moment."

"But Link," Impa immediately replied, patience in her voice. "As of right now, you are probably the only one that _can_ help her."

His head snapped towards her, and a frown once again creased his forehead.

"Why?" He asked.

"Now that is something that you will have to find out for yourself," Impa replied, a mysterious smirk on her face. Link could feel annoyance bubbling inside of him, but restrained himself from asking more. When Impa did not want to tell you something, there was absolutely no way to make her give in.

"How do I help?" Link finally asked after a moment of silence, a deep sigh escaping from his mouth as he unwillingly let the subject go. "For you to state what you said, you must have a suggestion."

"It is quite simple, actually," Impa replied. "What I suggest is that you and she travel the World."

"Travel the World?" Link repeated, disbelief and confusion evident in his tone at the very idea.

"Yes," Impa nodded, donning a serious face. "Bring her around, let her assimilate to the new world, help her to bring her mind off the things of the past, and also slowly help her face her feelings."

"She is currently trying to avoid them- the memories, the emotions- and they come to haunt her in her sleep in the form of nightmares and in her wake in the form of whispers in her ears. She needs to face them eventually, but she also needs time to heal and prepare. That's what I need you to do- to help her do these things."

Link stayed mute for a long moment as he contemplated and mulled upon her words. It made sense- most, if not all of what she said. Yet, a trace of fear and hesitation kept on squirming inside of him.

Was he really up for the job? Was he really able to help in that way? After all, he himself wasn't really in a good state.

However, the longer he pondered, the more determined he became, and the less fear and hesitation he felt.

It seemed like with or without his memories, his heart and mind just could not ignore his princess in her time of need. It had been driven so deep into his very being that even with the fragmented memories and the newly-created walls between him and Zelda, he could not help but _need_ to help her.

"I'll do it." He said, and was himself surprised at the conviction he could hear in his voice. A huge smile burst forth from Impa's face, and surprisingly, he found himself wearing a light smile as well, apparently looking forward to the prospect of travelling with the princess once again.

"Then get ready. You have a long journey ahead," Impa said, gesturing for him to leave and prepare, to which he silently obeyed. With a thankful nod, he stood up and walked towards the path that lead back to the village.

His mind was too focused on his new task that he had not noticed the smile drop from Impa's face, nor did he manage to hear her weary and worried sigh and the whisper she had beneath her breath, almost like a prayer.

" _And I hope that in this journey, you two will regain what you've both lost as well."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Tips and constructive criticism is really greatly appreciated. I need to know what's missing from the story or what's not that good and what's good.**

 **Also, I'm just gonna say that this story is _really_ Zelda-Link centric. Most chapters would either be on their relationship or their personal issues. There's not going to be a lot of actions-though I do plan to have a little bit. **

**Anyway I won't say much except leave a review if you have anything to say and yea fav or follow it if you're interested so I know I'm heading in the correct direction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~Kuntakintae**

* * *

To say Zelda found her current situation nostalgic would be quite the understatement.

Her traveler's hood fluttered with the gentle breeze as she and Link rode their horses along the wide plains of Hyrule. The tips of her lips rose as she saw a herd of horses grazing a few hundred meters away from her, and her smile widened when she saw that one of them noticed her. She waved in greeting, to which it neighed loudly in reply and went back to focusing on the task at hand- eating.

It felt surreal, travelling once again. Not in her priestess robes, but in simple traveler's outfit that consisted entirely of brown- a light brown tunic, dark brown pants and dark brown boots. Even her hood-which she had worn to hide her outstanding hair- was a shade of light brown.

Her mood dampened significantly as she thought about her priestess robes. It reminded her of many things- of her time inside Calamity Ganon, of the time when she had tried so desperately to hear the goddesses, of the time when her father was still-

She shook her head, forcibly pushing her thoughts away from that direction. The damage was done, however, and her previously peaceful emotional state was beginning to show signs of being completely conquered by the many emotions she had been trying to ignore.

"Princess?" A concerned voice floated along with the gentle breeze, thankfully managing to pull her out of the hole of darkness that she had almost completely submitted to once again.

She immediately schooled her facial expression, making sure that her face betrayed nothing of what she felt before turning to him with a small smile.

"Yes, Link?" She asked, thanking the goddesses in her mind that her voice somehow did not crack or stutter.

"Are you okay?" He asked, frowning in concern. She forced herself to meet his eyes with her own, not wanting to show even a hint of what she felt. She did not want to cause him to worry for her.

"What makes you think I'm not?" She asked back, trying her best to give a confused look. He stared at her for a moment, before nodding and turning his attention back to the surroundings. She then let out a small breath of relief she hadn't realized she had been holding in.

Link had always been an excellent observer, and despite his quiet nature, he could read people surprisingly accurately. Even now, while she was quite sure she had managed to elude his suspicions, doubts still plagued her.

Link could read people as skillfully as he prevented others from reading him. It saddened her that she could not read the current Link as well as she could the Link of the past, and she was far from coming to terms with the fact that the Link she knew was lost forever.

Every time she conversed with Link, she would be thrown into a loop of confusing emotions. Happiness and sadness always fought for dominance within her, and hope and despair would clash fiercely against each other.

Happy because he was still alive and still with her. Sad because he wasn't the Link she knew- not entirely.

There were parts of him that could never be erased no matter what- the kindness, the bravery, the _courage._

But, there were parts that had been lost along with his memories. The playful side of him was gone. So was the witty side of him. And the cheerful side.

People may not have known, but Link had _had_ those different sides of him. Before he got the master sword, before he was dumped the responsibility of being a hero. Even after he had gotten the sword, he had retained those parts of him-just that he revealed those sides a lot lesser and with very few people.

But she could no longer see those qualities in him anymore- at least, not from her observations. Pain and guilt always pierced her heart like a burning stake whenever she saw the apathy and numbness that had replaced the hidden vibrancy and cheerfulness he once contained deep within him.

 _It's all your fault._

Her face paled slightly as the whisper drifted through her mind, echoing tauntingly at her. Her grip on the reins of her horse tightened as she fought against the tidal wave of guilt that almost consistently crashed into her.

"You're not well," A stiff and firm voice once again broke her dark chain of thoughts. Her head snapped up as she stared at her fellow companion in surprise. She opened her mouth immediately to refute, but found that she could not choke out any words when she saw Link give her a knowing look.

He sighed and stopped his horse, clucking at hers to signal it to stop as well- which it did without question. That was also one familiar thing he had not lost- his superb skills with horses.

"Let's stop here to eat," Link told her as slid down his horse with practiced ease before walking to her side and offering her his hand. She paused, hesitating a little, but reached out to hold it in the end. She didn't know if it was a trick of the shadows, but she could have sworn she saw a _tiny_ smile when her hand touched his.

"I brought a cooking pot this time," He said as he helped her down from her own horse. "Hopefully I can give you a better meal than what I did the last time we were out."

Zelda smiled softly at that, touched by his thoughtfulness, and a slightly eager anticipation arose in her at what he was planning to cook up.

She hoped that his culinary skills had not deteriorated. When they had travelled across Hyrule during their...younger days, he had been the main cook for the both of them.

It was rare for a knight to cook for anybody, even if it was for the princess, but he had no choice since he was the only one she had allowed to accompany her. _After_ they made up, of course. When he had just become her appointed knight, she had truly hated the fact that he had followed her around like a dog sniffing up her tracks.

It was also then that she found out that he was an excellent cook. A memory of her discussing with him about his culinary skills flashed across her mind.

* * *

" _Link," Zelda started before biting down on the juicy steak said person had somehow managed to cook up with his trusty cooking pot._

" _Yea?" Link replied, not even looking at her as he did so due to the fact that he was busy wolfing down his third piece of meat. Zelda rolled her eyes at the sight, but a smile could be seen on her face._

" _Why are your cooking skills so good? It is rare to see one good in both the art of weapons and the art of cooking." Zelda inquired, curiosity lacing her voice._

 _Link's eyes shot to her, and a silence descended for a moment before Link finally swallowed the piece of meat that Zelda did not even notice was still in his mouth._

" _Firstly, thank you for the compliments," He replied with a grin, to which she merely rolled her eyes in exasperation. Then, his grin seemed to fade a little as he continued speaking._

 _"My mother taught me how to cook," He replied, his eyes moving away from hers and towards the campfire between them. "We used to cook dinner together all the time when I was young, waiting for my Dad to return from his mission."_

 _Zelda saw a small smile appear on his face, but it wasn't a happy one. She could sense the underlying tone of sadness in his voice, and the slight unhappiness he had underneath that tiny smile of his._

 _A small pang of guilt hit her when she realised why. It had been a long time since Link went to see his parents- especially his mom who lived in Hateno Village._

 _Determination suddenly surged through her. "We're going to Hateno village tomorrow morning," She said. Link's eyes shot back to her, and his mouth immediately opened to protest._

" _No, Link," She cut him off before he could even start. "We_ _ **are**_ _going to Hateno Village." She stared at him straight in the eyes, and the staring contest lasted for a good two minutes before he finally gave in with a shake of his head and sigh of resignation- and a hint of happiness._

" _...Thanks," He said with an exasperated but relieved smile which brightened her mood considerably._

" _It's payment for all the times you've cooked for me." A soft snort escaped his lips, but Link did not oppose her decision anymore._

" _I need better pay," He muttered softly, but the words still managed to reach her ears, which caused her to throw an uncooked chillshroom she found on the grass at him._

* * *

A tiny smirk appeared on her face as she remembered that particular event, but it faded away after a few seconds, leaving her feeling a little emptier and hollow. Reminiscing those precious moments reminded her that _that_ Link is gone, and it only caused the hollowness to spread when she entertained the thought that those times may never happen again.

Suddenly, a savory, pleasant, _familiar_ smell swiftly attacked her senses, shocking her out of her bleak musings as she faced the direction where the aroma was coming from.

She had been so deep in her contemplation that she had not noticed Link starting a fire, nor did she notice that he had already been cooking for a good while. Her mind, however, was reeling as she slowly walked up to him and the well-maintained stone cooking pot.

It couldn't be. There was no way he was making what she thought he was. None of the pictures she had stored in the shiekah slate-which was hanging by her hip- had been related to what he was doing.

But, as her eyes landed on the substance he was currently making in the cooking pot, her heart started to race, and her mind went into chaos.

Fruitcakes.

 _Fruitcakes._

It was her favourite food, something that she had often ate in the past whenever she was weary or depressed. It had always been able to cheer and uplift her mood, as well as help her focus more on her research.

Link had often made fruitcakes for her throughout their travels in the past. While she travelled a lot, she was no warrior, and she used her mind much more than others during her travels due to her research. Thus, she was often tired and moody. Link had often cooked up a few fruitcakes to cheer her up and re-energize her.

It couldn't be a coincidence, could it?

"...You...remember?" She choked, almost not daring to ask, fearing the answer. A hope that she had not managed to quash in time had surged in her, and she knew the greater the hope, the harsher the disappointment.

Link, however, stayed quiet, opting instead to carefully take out the fruitcake from the cooking pot- she never knew how he made fruitcakes so perfectly in a _cooking pot_ \- and placed it on a paper plate before giving it to her.

Quietly, she reached out for the plate, only to see that her hands were shaking, quivering. Link seemed to notice her distress, and his eyes softened.

"Taste it. You will get the answer," He replied softly, placing the plate gently in her outstretched, trembling hands.

Almost reverently, she brought the plate close to her chest and sat down a meter away from him. She felt like her heart was literally beating against her chest _hard_ , like a hammer that hit her non-stop.

She was a complete mess.

As carefully as she could with her current state of being, she picked up the fruitcake and studied it, feeling the texture with her fingers and taking in the familiar fragrance. It was exactly like how his fruitcakes looked and smelled like in the past, which only served to make her feel more excited and scared.

In all honesty, Link knowing that fruitcake was her favourite food wasn't that surprising. If he had explored the ruins of Hyrule castle, he would have gathered that much information about her from the dining hall. The chefs often pasted the recipe of a fruitcake on the walls with notes on how much she adored them.

But it was the fact that it was _Link_ making it that evoked such a huge reaction from her. That reason was also because Link's fruitcakes were always slightly different from the chefs in the castle- or anyone else's for that matter. It was a secret that she had shared _only_ to him, and no one else- an extra ingredient she loved to go in addition with the fruitcake.

With her quivering hands, she picked up the fruitcake as carefully as she could, her eyes never leaving the fruitcake. A small part of her mocked at her about how much of a big deal she was making over just a simple fruitcake, but a louder voice overpowered it.

It wasn't just a simple fruitcake. It wasn't even _about_ the fruitcake, but it was what the fruitcake represented that mattered.

Bringing it to her lips, she closed her eyes and prayed a small prayer to the goddesses before taking a small bite. And then another. And another.

No words were spoken throughout the duration of time she spent to consume the fruitcake finish. Link merely went back to cooking a few pieces of meat for himself as she continued to revel in the taste of the cake.

Finally, she placed the paper plate on the ground quietly, swallowing the last cut of fruitcake. A considerably long time went by before she finally spoke up.

"...How long?" She whispered softly, so softly that it could be considered inaudible to a normal human. She knew, however, how sharp Link's ears were, and she knew he heard her.

Link kept quiet for a while, his back facing her as he went ahead to cook his third piece of meat. Finally, as he was done cooking the third piece of meat, he replied.

"That particular memory came back two days ago." Zelda's eyes watered a little upon hearing this. Not from sadness, no.

It wasn't sadness, but joy. A joy she had not felt for a long time.

"How much have you regained?" She asked, her voice stronger this time as she slowly recovered from her shock at the revelation the fruitcake brought about.

"Not a lot. Bits and pieces, spread randomly across my life. "

"But it's coming back."

"Yes."

"Slowly but surely."

"Yes."

Link decided to turn his body towards her as he started eating his first piece of steak, and another long silence settled upon them. This time, however, it felt just a little less awkward, just a little but more comfortable.

"Thank you," Zelda managed to croak out, and she really meant it from the bottom of her heart.

"I'm not actually actively doing anything to regain the memories."

"Still, thank you for regaining them."

Link didn't reply, and she couldn't really blame him either. There wasn't really much else to say, and she was satisfied as it is.

To know that her best friend was coming back-albeit a little slow, and a little late, but still- had managed to ignite the spark of hope that had been dying out inside of her.

Before this, she had felt like she was walking towards a future with nothing- no friends, no kingdom, no family, no home. Even now, she tried her best avoiding those thoughts, as it always sent her into an uncontrollable spiral of depression and guilt.

This revelation had shed a light, had added a _something_ to the nothingness she saw that was her future.

"Are you still hungry?" Link asked again, to which she shook her head. Maybe it was the excitement, or the sudden flood of happiness, but she felt completely full.

"Let's get going then," Link said as he washed his cooking pot before hooking it back in place on the saddle of his horse. He then proceeded to help her up her horse before expertly mounting his own.

"We should start travelling at a faster speed. We need to reach Wetland's stable by sundown." Link informed her, turning to her to see if she understood. She nodded her head to signify she did.

Suddenly, a tiny grin appeared on his face. "Try to keep up, princess," He said with the _slightest_ hint of teasing before prompting his horse to gallop away with a loud shout.

It took Zelda a good three seconds to close her hanging mouth, and then another three seconds to successfully prompt her horse to gallop after Link, all the while shouting at Link to slow down with a grin unknowingly plastered on her face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Been busy lately, so sorry for the late update!**

 **As usual, please do review if you have any constructive criticism.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~Kuntakintae**

* * *

Link was worried.

Well, not to say that he usually wasn't worried. He could hardly remember a time when worry did not exist in his heart.

From the memories he had recovered so far, even before the Calamity had struck, his heart had been full of worries.

However, the worry that was brewing within him now outclassed most of what he had felt- safe for a few, extremely rare instances.

He let out a small, wry smile as his eyes landed on the peacefully resting princess who had laid herself down comfortably on one of the higher quality beds of the Wetland Stable.

Past, present or even-he resignedly admitted in his mind- in the future, the constant object of his worry always pointed back to this one person that was sleeping in front of him.

He still remembered the first time he had set foot into Zora domain. Most treated him courteously- some even enthusiastically-, but there were a select few who had not been too happy about his return.

Granted, Muzu had accepted and forgiven him in the end, but the reason he did it was largely due to Mipha- or specifically, her feelings for him.

He winced slightly as his thoughts drifted to his precious late friend and confidant. While he had not recovered all the memories he had of Mipha, what he had recovered was enough to make him feel a suffocating sense of grief and a slight sense of guilt.

Worry seemed to etch on his face as his thoughts went back to the princess.

Zelda would not have the same benefit of doubt. He didn't dare imagine how the elders would react to her presence.

He was almost certain that many of the elder Zora, and especially Muzu, would not be open-minded enough to forgive her.

He knew how deep their scars ran, and the pain of losing their beloved princess was still fresh in their hearts, even after a century.

Unfortunately, despite all his misgivings and protests, the Princess had insisted on visiting the Zora domain.

It frustrated him to no end-though he made sure not to let it show. From his talk with Impa, as well as with his own deductions and opinions, he knew that Zelda was definitely _not_ ready to face the wrath of the Zora elders.

He understood, however, why she was so insistent on going. He himself still felt guilt over what had happened a century ago- and even if he had released Mipha's spirit and destroyed the calamity, he still felt pained over the fact that he had not been able to do so earlier, ultimately leading to the other champions losing their lives.

He knew, however, that what he felt was miniscule compared to what the Princess felt- though the reason why also brought him a lot of frustration and a certain degree of sadness and melancholy.

While he had been regaining some memories of his past, it was pathetically little compared to how much he was still missing.

Other than the memories he had recovered when he visited the different domains of the races for the first time, he had not regained any on the champions that he had supposedly been close to in the past.

It was largely due to this that he knew he was suffering less than the Princess. While he _knew_ he had been close to them, he couldn't remember the times they had shared, which obviously did not allow him to feel as much about them as he knew he should.

A small, selfish, _desperate_ part of him- which he despised but could not help having-, whilst even knowing that the trip to Zora would certainly bring the Princess untold grief and pain, hoped that they would go on a trip to the four domains.

He was certain the Princess was the key to his lost memories, and he had a selfish hope that visiting these places with her would help him recover said memories.

Yet, the selfless part of him, the part which had spurred him on and had given him the strength to traverse across the entirety of Hyrule just to defeat the monstrosity and free the princess unceasingly urged him to stop the princess from reaching the Zora domain.

He released a long breath.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, he would once again attempt to dissuade the princess from going. No matter how much he wanted his memories back, the present was what mattered more. He didn't want anything bad to happen to the princess due to his own selfishness.

She had to confront her past, yes, but the Zora domain was still too much for her.

Taking one last long look at the princess to ascertain that she was sleeping well, he then laid himself down onto the bed beneath him and closed his eyes.

* * *

" _Papa, Papa! Look!" A six-year old link with a roundish face and sparkling, mischievous eyes exclaimed in excitement as he pointed towards the nearby river._

" _What is it?" A gruff yet warm voice replied. A tall man with a lean build, firm jaw, sharp blue eyes and short but neat black hair paused his cooking and knelt down beside Link, looking at the direction he was pointing._

" _It's a fish! Like Mipha!" Link grinned cheekily whilst pointing at a green-skinned zora swimming idly with the river current, earning a light chuckle and a gentle slap on the side of his head._

" _Now, don't go calling them fishes when you reach the Zora domain. Princess Mipha might be fine with it, but the elders will be a headache to appease if they hear you," The man lightly admonished him, even though his own face held a small smile._

" _But it's fun! Mipha always starts to squeak in a weird way and chase me around when I call her a pretty fish," Link whined, a pout apparent on his face, earning another helpless chuckle and slap on the head._

" _You're pretty lucky I'm good friends with their commander. If not, you'd be unable to play with the princess at all," The man said as he ruffled his hair with his huge hands._

" _Though, I suppose it's good for her to have a friend in you," The man continued to speak, though this time, it sounded as though he was speaking more to himself than to Link. "Being a princess can be lonely."_

" _I'll be friends all the princesses in the world, so all of them won't be lonely anymore!" Link shouted cheekily, causing the man shake his head at his unending mischievousness._

" _Please don't say that in Hyrule castle. I don't know if I'd get hanged if you shout that in front of the king," The man sighed as he patted Link's head- who_ _ **still**_ _had a ridiculous grin on his face._

* * *

Link's eyes shot open, before he cursed silently and shut them tightly and putting an arm over his eyes, shielding them from the glaring rays of light from the rising sun.

Slowly but surely, he opened his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the intensity of the sunlight. After a good twenty seconds, with his eyes finally adjusted, he propped himself up on his bed as his mind whirled around what he had just dreamed.

No, not dreamed. _Remembered._

His eyes drifted to his right and landed on the princess. After confirming that she was sleeping soundly with no issues, he slowly got up from his bed and walked towards the door, nodding a greeting at Lawdon- the stable owner- as he walked pass the counter.

The sun was only halfway up across the horizon, which meant that it was only the wee hours of the morning. It didn't surprise him when he saw the empty surroundings- safe for the birds that roamed around the skies and land, chirping their morning tunes.

As a gentle breeze kissed his face, and as the smell of the wetlands attacked his nose, his mind started to calm, and his breathing- which had been uneven and shallow- started to fall back to his regular deep breaths.

He then turned and stared, his eyes focusing on the ever-burning fire and stove, and then focusing on the seat that had always been located beside it.

His eyes never left the seat as he walked slowly towards it. Each step felt as though it weighed a thousand tons.

"I never knew…" He whispered softly, as though the seat was actually listening. "I never knew you held such a precious memory."

During his travels, he had passed by this place so many times. He had even sat on that seat before, had even used that stove to cook before.

His eyes shifted to the empty spot right next to the seat. As though his body had suddenly registered how old it actually was, he weakly and slowly sat himself down on the ground.

And then he stared.

He stared at the river not too far away as it flowed peacefully and silently. He stared at the mountains in the distance dotted with random clumps of trees. He stared at the slowly rising sun along the horizon.

A tear slid down his cheek.

It was there that the memory had taken place. It was there that his father had ruffled his hair, had patted his head, had cooked a meal for him to eat, had chuckled and laughed and joked with him.

Before he knew it, his lone tear had turned into a stream. He did nothing to stop the flow, nor did he try to wipe away the tears.

All he did was simply stare.

It had been an entire century-and a little more- since that memory had happened. The river still flowed. The mountains still stood tall. The sun still rose.

But his father was not there beside him, sitting on the wooden seat. His father was not there, cooking a meal for the both of them. His father was not there, chuckling and joking with him.

 _He was gone._

That fact hit him like a ton of bricks, utterly crushing him. His emotions whirled like a storm within him, and he couldn't stop the flow of tears that seemed to have increased in speed. Needles seemed to poke at his heart from all directions, and it felt as though a stone had dropped into his stomach.

It took him a long time to calm down.

Weariness and fatigue slowly replaced the pain and sadness that had engulfed his entire being, and as his tears finally stopped flowing and his breathing started to even out, Link started to reorganize his thoughts and mind.

He was surprised when he realised that he felt a little bit better after he had poured out his emotions. Before, it had felt as though he had been plunged into a storm of grief and loneliness. Now, it was as though the storm had calmed. The grief and loneliness was still there, but it was no longer as heart-wrenching as before.

He was even more surprised when he felt a very, _very_ tiny sense of warmth and comfort. It was miniscule compared to the newly-added negative emotions, but it was something he had not felt for a long, long time.

At the very least, the hollowness that had been plaguing him had seemed to become a little less potent.

The memories, while reminding him of what he had lost, had also given him something to hold on to, something to fill up the emptiness in his heart. While it pained him to know he would never be able to enjoy those moments with his father ever again, he had remembered the pure happiness he experienced with his father.

It was a classic example of the good coming with the bad, but he felt that he would rather this than the void that seemed to be ever-present due to his lack of memories.

As he reviewed the memory over and over again, a small smile graced his slightly pale face. His father was gone, but now, he knew- to a certain extent- what parental love was like. He knew he had been loved-deeply.

The smile slid off his face, however, as he thought about the future. That one short memory had caused him to go into an emotional breakdown, and he had no idea how many more memories would cause him to grief like this.

It would take him a long time to come to terms with the loss of everyone he had known. The more he remembered, the more attached he would be to those of the past, and the more he would mourn and grief over them.

His heart wavered at the thought, and he briefly wondered if what Zelda felt all the time was a hundred times worse than what he felt at that very moment.

It was possible since Zelda had all her memories intact, and it finally dawned on him just how serious Zelda's condition was.

A grim look appeared on his face. He couldn't imagine what Zelda was feeling. He knew that the only reason Zelda was holding together was with her astonishingly strong willpower as well as avoidance towards her past.

However, what she did wasn't a solution. It merely delayed the inevitable, and he knew that the only way she could fully recover was to confront and make peace with her past.

It was the same for him, he realised.

He shuddered at the thought. Just that one fragment of a memory had affected him greatly. For the first time, he wondered if it was really possible for the both of them to recover.

The task seemed daunting- almost impossible.

After a few seconds of contemplating, however, he clenched his fist and shook his head, banishing the thought as he gathered up the courage from within him.

He had never backed down from what he was supposed to do. Whether it had been stepping into the role of a hero a hundred years ago, or fighting head-on against Calamity Ganon, he strode ahead, and he had never regretted it.

For the princess, as well as for himself, he had to push on.

With a new surge of determination, he picked himself up and started to walk back to the stable. The very first thing he had to do was to convince the Princess not to go to the Zora domain. She had to do it someday, but he strongly felt that she was not ready for it yet.

He just hoped that his new-found determination would be able to move the princess somehow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Zelda**

It was beautiful.

The rushing currents of the water a hundred feet below them, the rolling hills full of nature at their front, the clear sky with the gentle breeze, the beautiful designs that decorated the blue-colored concrete bridge that they were crossing and bright, warm sun that shone high in the sky- everything was so peaceful and calm.

At any other time, Zelda would have liked nothing more than to close her eyes and soak in the wonderful atmosphere. She would have appreciated the wind that kissed her skin, the warmth that surrounded her like a cocoon, the sounds of life that would float through her ears.

But at the moment, Zelda was unable to bring herself to bask in her surroundings.

Biting her lips- half in worry, half in nervousness-, her eyes strayed to the stiff figure a few meters ahead of her.

Although there was the sound of rushing water, although there were the sounds of chirping birds and the rustle of the leaves, Zelda felt as though there was such a heavy silence in the air that it suffocated her.

The worst part was that she didn't even understand why – in fact, she did not have a single clue _how_ \- the current situation was happening.

She was completely confused about why Link was so frustrated about her decision to go and visit the Zora. Thinking back to their earlier argument- if it could even be called an argument-, she didn't have a single clue as to why Link was so against it.

* * *

" _Princess," Link called out to her as they were mounting their horses._

" _Yes, Link?"_

" _We should not go to the Zora," Link's words stumped Zelda, causing her to pause._

"… _Why?" Zelda asked, a frown creasing her forehead._

 _Link stayed silent for a few seconds, before repeating again._

" _I think we should not go to the Zora."_

" _Can you give me a reason?" Zelda repeated her question, confusion swirling in her mind._

"… _I just don't feel like it's a good idea," Link's hesitant reply caused Zelda's frown to deepen._

 _People may not be able to guess- with Link's emotionless face_ _being present almost all the time- but Zelda could tell that Link was hiding something._

" _Link, if you can't tell me the reason, I will go to the Zora," Zelda replied firmly. She had loose ends to tie, and…a lot of debts to pay._

 _She and Link had a short stare-off. It was Link that looked away first._

 _Without saying anything more, he turned back to his front, and coaxed his horse to move._

 _It was in the direction of the Zora._

 _While Link didn't say anything, by the way his shoulders were a little more tensed than usual, Zelda could tell that Link was not happy. Nevertheless, she gently kicked and held the reins, coaxing her horse to follow Link._

* * *

After that, the atmosphere just seemed to turn cold, and the heavy silence began. Throughout the entire journey from the ranch to where they were at that very moment, not a single word had been spoken between the two of them.

Zelda had thought about asking him what was wrong. In fact, she had thought about it countless times already. Every time she opened her mouth to ask, however, the courage she had painstakingly mustered up would choose to abandon her.

In the end, no words would leave her mouth, and she would choose to keep silent.

Besides the confusion and nervousness, there was also a little fear. In the past, Link had never given her the cold shoulder before. Everything she decided to do, he would simply accompany her.

It was a somewhat painful reminder that the current Link was not the Link she had known- not entirely. While he _was_ recovering his memories, it was still a far cry from the entire set. She did not have a single clue how to approach this Link.

No matter how she mulled and pondered, she could not come up with a way to bridge the silent gap between them.

' _So much for being wise…'_ Zelda bitterly thought as she looked sadly at Link's back. She then sighed, and forced herself- with herculean effort- to bring her thoughts and attention away from Link and to the surroundings.

As her eyes started to sweep across the area, dust-laden memories- ones that had not surfaced for more than a century- began to slowly seep into her mind.

As she stared at the water below, a vision of many Zora once swimming up and down the current- with young Zora's peals of laughter ringing all around as they played and the shouts of adult Zora calling their children filling the air- flashed through her mind.

* * *

" _Haha! I caught three fishes already. You're too slow, all of you!"_

" _No fair! You're using a net. We're using spears!"_

" _Hey kiddos, it's time to go. Bring the fishes you've caught. We're going to cook and eat them."_

" _But dad, I wanna keep it as a pet!_

" _No way in hell, kiddo."_

* * *

She blinked, and the vision disappeared. What replaced her vision was an empty stream. The laughter was gone, so were the children and their parents. A strong feeling of melancholy descended upon her, and she bit her lip as she tried to ignore the feelings of guilt that never seemed to be able to give her a break.

Quickly, she shifted her eyes away from the waters below, determined to bring her attention elsewhere. As they neared the end of the bridge, another vision flashed across her mind again- a vision of smiling Zora guards at the end of the bridge welcoming them, with the old ambassador from the Zora bowing to them amiably as a gesture of friendship.

* * *

 _"Welcome to the Zora domain, Princess Zelda." The elderly, smiling ambassador greeted her with a short bow.  
_

 _"Thank you for receiving us." Zelda replied with a genuine smile of her own._

 _"It is our pleasure. The Zora are honored to have such a wise and youthful beauty in our presence."_

 _"Dear ambassador, please stop with the overly sweet words. You know it makes me feel slightly...uncomfortable."_

 _"Ah, but that's the whole point." The ambassador replied with a teasing smirk that did not really fit his aged face._

 _Zelda simply sighed and shook her head with a gentle grin._

* * *

She blinked, and once again, the vision was gone, replaced with the sight of an empty, lonely bridge. She felt as though a black hole had suddenly appeared in her heart, and she felt a hollowness enter her chest.

She had liked that ambassador- with his witty comments and fun- yet wise - demeanor. Sadly, a whole century had passed, and he had already been in his twilight years by the time Calamity Ganon had awakened. He was most likely dead by now.

It seemed that no matter where she looked, and wherever she went, the memories of the past would continue to haunt her. A pang of sadness hit her, and she closed her eyes as she tried to push the thoughts away.

"Princess?" Link's voice cut through her thoughts, bringing her out of her daze. When she looked in front, she realised that the distance between her and Link had increased by a few feet. She realised that she had unintentionally stopped her horse right at the end of the bridge while she had been trapped within her thoughts.

Slightly flustered, Zelda quickly coaxed the horse to continue trotting forward. "Apologies," Zelda said as she neared Link. "I was…merely lost in thoughts."

She tried to hide the nervousness in her voice. After all, it had been the first word Link had spoken to her for the entire journey.

It was useless, evidently, as Link started to frown. "Is something troubling you, princess?" Link asked, and Zelda managed to trace a hint of worry in his otherwise monotone voice.

For a while, she didn't know how to reply his question. In fact, she was slightly stunned. If she had been confused before, she was completely and utterly clueless at that very moment.

Wasn't Link angry? Upset? Why was he talking as though he didn't know what was wrong?

"Princess?" Link's questioning gaze met my confused one.

"…Aren't you upset?" She managed to squeeze out- very softly- the words out of her mouth, her eyes flitting around as she dared not meet his eyes.

"…Huh?" A voice as carrying as much confusion as she felt replied. Her eyes shot back to his face, and a chuckle escaped her lips when she saw his face mirroring her own- the face showing that he had not a single clue what she was going on about.

"…I had thought you were upset with my decision," Zelda explained, her courage growing a little as she began to suspect that a misunderstanding had occurred. Her courage continued growing when she saw a fleeting strand of astonishment appear in Link's eyes before disappearing.

"I wasn't upset," Link shook his head as he explained. "I was just…deep in thought." He paused for a while, before hesitantly replying. She could tell that he was still hiding something, but she decided not to push it.

In fact, she was already satisfied with the fact that Link wasn't upset with her.

"Do you need a break, princess? We have been travelling for quite a while," Link asked after a short silence. Zelda shook her head in reply.

"I can rest later at the Zora. I want to get there as soon as possible," Again, Zelda saw Link tense up at the mention of the Zora, but decided to let it go. Whatever the issue is, it would be revealed when they reached the Zora.

Link was never one to share his problems easily anyway- even in the past.

Link's eyes studied her face for a whole three seconds, making her squirm slightly in discomfort. Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask him what was wrong, he finally stopped and looked away as he turned his body back to the front.

"The road ahead is steep. Be careful, princess." Link's voice carried itself through the wind as he started to move ahead again. His worry touched Zelda, and a small smile became visible on her face as she followed.

"You'll be there to catch me anyway." The words escaped her mouth before she could even think. Her eyes widened once she realised what she said, and embarrassment- and admittedly, a little fear- erupted within her and she carefully glanced at Link, wary of how he would respond.

A whole five seconds of silence took place, and at the moment Zelda was almost sure Link wasn't going to respond, Link turned his head slightly- with only half his face exposed to her sight.

"Of course, Princess," While Link's voice was still monotonous, the hidden amusement that it contained was like a blaring alarm to her ears.

Futhermore, as though it was not embarrassing enough, she spotted an _extremely discrete_ upturn at the corner of the side of the lips that faced her.

She almost couldn't resist the temptation of throwing herself off the bridge.


	6. Chapter 6

**Link**

As soon as he saw the intricately designed, cyan-glowing pillars that illuminated the night sky, the feeling of trepidation within him peaked, and he could feel his chest tightening and his lungs constricting.

What he feared would happen was coming closer and closer.

Yet, he was helpless in preventing it from happening.

He remembered the faces of the elders, the treatment he had gotten when he had first stepped into the throne room, the glares filled with hate and grief directed at him relentlessly.

He remembered Muzu.

It had not been easy, but in retrospect, it had not been as hard as it should have been.

After all, how could one have feelings for things one doesn't even remember, for a person you don't even know?

The feelings of sadness and grief had struck hard when he had regained a part of his memories about his dear friend.

The more he remembered, the worst it got.

Even now, he had not regained all his memories of Mipha. From what he _had_ remembered, he and Mipha had been childhood friends. He had not remembered a single thing about those times as of yet.

He had visited the Zora countless times throughout his journey, be it for supplies or simply to speak with Sidon. However, he had a feeling that this time would be different.

His instincts roared at him, and what they were telling him was clear.

This trip, memories would return.

He couldn't exactly describe the emotions he was experiencing. It was a mess- a clump of opposing feelings forced together. He felt excitement, yet dread. He felt happiness, yet grief.

His desire to remember everything about Mipha was almost as strong as his desire _not_ to.

He shook his head, ridding the thoughts. It was not the time to think about his own memories- about whether they would return or not.

He was more worried for the princess.

Already, he could see the change coming here had brought. After the short conversation they had at the hundred feet high bridge- which he still found slightly amusing, to say the least- they had spoken a little more.

It had been mostly her speaking and him listening, but it was pleasant. From what he had remembered- and the princess was by far the person he remembered the most about from his past- she had always been chatty, and he had always silently listened.

It had brought him a sense of melancholy and sadness when he realized- after travelling with her for a week- that she was very different from the princess he once knew.

She had not been as chatty when he had first freed her from her imprisonment, but over time, she had slowly recovered from the trauma that haunted her day and night. Or at least, she had became better at ignoring it.

At this point, any minuscule sign of improvement satisfied him.

He prayed that this trip to the Zora would not destroy whatever improvement she had made these few weeks.

For what it's worth, he _had_ tried to convince her not to come. Yet, when he saw her face, when he heard her tone, he had remembered about the past- when she had been headstrong and firm in her decisions, as stubborn as a mule- and he could not help but give in.

In the past, from what he could remember, he had never been able to convince her to do something she didn't want to.

After a hundred years, that part of her had not changed.

It had been a mix of emotions again when he had that particular conversation with her. There had been joy that she retained some part of her old self, and yet there had been a slight frustration as well.

If she had not retained that part, she would not be where they were right now, almost into the city of the Zora. However, wasn't this exactly what he wanted? For the princess to recover?

It had been much simpler when he woke up without any memories. Roam, solve, fight, kill- those four thing described the entirety of his life after he woke up. It was only when he met Zelda, and when he started to regain his memories, that things became more and more complicated.

There was no medicine for regret, and to be very honest with himself, instead of regret that he felt, he only felt resignation. The situation he was facing at the current moment strangely felt familiar.

He thought of the past, and thought of the times the princess had needed him to pick up the pieces after the mistakes she committed due to her stubbornness, and a helpless feeling sprung up from within him.

The only thing he could do was to control his fear, strengthen his resolve and support the princess, as was his duty and what he had been doing for a long time.

Strangely, when he thought up to the point of 'duty', there was a slightly bitter taste in his mouth, which surprised him, to say the least.

It seemed there were still major portions of his memory that he could not remember about his past relationship with the princess.

Staring at the bridge that they were approaching, he was suddenly struck with a sense of nostalgia that he had never felt the countless times he arrived before. Before he knew it, a memory popped up in his mind.

* * *

 _"Woah, where is this Dad?" Link asked, his eyes and mouth both wide open, making him look like a gaping fish out of water. "It's so pretty!"_

 _"Haha," His dad's gruff voice came from beside him. Just reaching the age of thirty a few weeks ago, he still looked as though he was just reaching twenty five. With a strong and lean build, coupled with such an exuberant and youthful face, his dad looked not a single bit older then he was years ago._

 _"This is the Zora Domain. A place where you will meet those fish-like men you've been so curious about all this while."_

 _Link felt excitement immediately burst forth within him, and he almost couldn't stop himself from spring across the beautifully designed bridge right in front of them. In fact, the only thing that had stopped him was his father's strong and firm hand gripping his shoulder._

 _"Patience, Link. There are people here to receive us," Link's father's voice was full of amusement._

 _At that very moment, an entourage of people appeared in Link's vision. Link's eyes widened as large as a saucer and his mouth dropped wide open when he caught sight of them._

 _Of course, being with his father had exposed him to many kinds of things. It wouldn't be the first time he's seen human-like species that weren't really humans. He had seen the short moblins, the weak bokoblins and the tall lizalfos, but they all had one thing in common- they were all just really ugly._

 _To see a species that looked..well, not ugly, was quite surprising._

 _Some even looked better as compared to the Hylians he saw in his everyday life._

 _Especially the young one that stood right beside very huge, blue-coloured Zora with a glittering crown on his head._

 _"So pretty!" Link exclaimed before he could even think, before immediately receiving a hard smack on the upside of his head._

 _"Link!" His father's usually warm voice was now extremely stern. Link immediately knew he made a severe mistake, and lowered his head, not daring to say anything._

 _"It's quite alright, Leo," A strong, loud and firm voice boomed, followed by a loud guffaw. Link carefully looked up to see that it was the huge Zora with the crown on his head that spoke up._

 _"Apologies, King Dorephan. My son has not learned proper etiquette." His father started to get down on one knee, but was swiftly stopped by a muscularly built and lean Zora with enchanting dark green-coloured skin._

 _"Leo, I know the Hylians take court etiquette extremely seriously, but here with the Zora, basic respect and courtesy is all that is needed."_

 _"What he says is true, Sir Leo. Please be at ease. I can assure you that my daughter is not in the least offended by your son's endearing appraisal."_

 _Link spied at the young, small, pretty and petite female Zora that barely reached a height of 2 feet that stood shyly beside the king. For a moment, he was lost in the soft and comfortable reddish-pink color of her skin. He then snapped out of it a second later and looked at her face._

 _To his surprise, she was looking right at him._

 _Both their eyes met, and they both shot each other a shy smile before quickly looking away._

 _Link felt a strange sensation on his cheeks, and he realized that he was blushing._

 _For him, who was usually extremely loud and active, it was kind of a new thing._

 _A new type of excitement._

 _At that very moment, he decided that he would be that female Zora's friend._

* * *

"...Link?" The princess' voice floated through his ears, concern lacing it, snapping him out of his daze.

Link shut his eyes, and opened them again, looking at the exact spot his memory had taken place.

Sadness struck him like a hammer. The grief was exceptionally heavy this time.

The first time he had met Mipha was exactly at where they were, in front of the bridge that connected the outside world to the Zora.

"Are you okay?" The princess' voice sounded nearer this time. He looked back to see that the princess had willed her horse to trot nearer to him so that she could see if she was okay.

A pang of guilt erupted, and he forcefully cleared his thoughts of Mipha for the moment.

He was here to support the princess, not the other way around. There was no time for him to wallow in his own misfortunes when the person who suffered most was right beside him.

"I'm fine. Apologies for worrying you," Link replied, his voice a little stiff as he struggled to get his emotions in order. His answer evidently did not convince the princess, as he could see the frown on her face deepen.

"Did you...remember something?" She asked, and it took all his willpower not to show the surprise on his face. The way his body stiffened, however, clearly showed his surprise.

"Is it too personal?" She asked, to which Link stayed silent for a while.

"At a better time, I will tell you," Link replied after much deliberation, and secretly sighed in relief when he saw that the satisfaction in the princess' eyes.

He had been observing her for a long time, and he knew that she had been hurting not only because of the nightmares of the past, but also because of the reminders that she and him were no longer as close as before.

He was helpless in this regard. He knew that she had been someone precious to him- and _will_ be precious to him.

The problem was that while his entire being screamed at him that the princess was someone he could be very close with, someone who he could just tell everything to without being judged, there was no substance- no _memories-_ to convince his mind.

His heart wanted to, but his mind didn't.

He sighed again as he realised time and time again that his life was a complete mess.

However, once he caught sight of some figures appearing at the other end of the bridge, all these thoughts immediately disappeared into thin air, and the blood drained from his face as his heart started to beat faster in trepidation.

He didn't know how the Zora had knew he was coming with the princess, but judging by the appearance of the huge figure with an entourage of smaller figures, he knew that they had known.

The king, along with a a whole group of what he assumed to be high-ranking Zora, had come to welcome them.

His sharp eyes even spotted Muzu, and from what he could see, Muzu wasn't in the best of moods.

From the corner of his eye, he could see that the princess had stiffened up, as though her entire body was made of brick. Her face was frozen, but in the depths of her eyes, he could see a multitude of emotions swirling- the most tangible one being anxiety, and coming in a close second was guilt.

He had the almost unstoppable urge to just grab the princess and sprint in the opposite direction after seeing that. He knew it, he _knew_ it. It was a bad idea to come here, to allow her to meet the Zora. She wasn't ready-

"Greetings, young hero," A loud voice boomed across the area, sounding oh-so-familiar, yet a little different from the voice in his memories. It was a little more weary, a little more tired, a little more aged.

It also smashed all his thoughts of bringing her away. There was no more time. He forced himself to calm down, and with all courage he could muster, he steeled himself and faced the entourage, putting on a small smile on his face as he bowed lightly.

"Greetings, King Dorephan," Link replied, keeping his voice calm and smooth with practiced ease.

The huge Zora nodded with a smile, and he turned his head slightly, his gaze shooting past him towards the person whom he was standing protectively in front of. Link's heart pumped wildly as he closely observed the King's facial expressions.

Yet, it was not him who started talking first, but yet another familiar biting voice that replied. A sarcastic, accusatory voice which had been aimed at him not so long ago.

"It seems you have finally returned, Princess of Hyrule."


	7. Chapter 7

**Zelda**

The moment the words registered in her mind, a sharp, _tangible_ pain pierced straight into a heart, as though someone had used a sledgehammer to drive a nail of pain straight into it.

She suddenly felt as though she could not breathe, like her lungs were completely devoid of oxygen. Her mind became fuzzy, and the whispers she had _just_ recently managed to force out of her head started to whisper their haunting words once again.

"Muzu!" The king's voice thundered, echoing loudly across the mountains that surrounded them, his tone stern and firm.

Muzu's mouth went shut, but she could see - from the way his eyes shined with anger and his fins trembled- that he was less than happy about her arrival.

He was not the only one acting this way as well. The other elders- those that were at a lower position as compared to him- did not dare to speak out, but it was obvious from their heated glares that they also felt the same as Muzu.

At that very moment, Zelda could sense a seed of doubt sprouted within her heart.

She had assumed that while the races would dislike her to a certain extent, the relationship between her and the other nations would be able to be mended. She had thought that even if they wouldn't forgive her at first, if she dedicated her heart and soul into mending the bridge, they would eventually forgive her.

Most importantly, she had assumed that she herself would be strong enough to face all their hatred and anger, and resolve them with her own willpower.

She realised, at that very moment, that she had most likely overestimated herself, if her tumultuous emotions and whirling thoughts had anything to say about it.

"I deeply apologize for Muzu's rude tone, Princess Zelda," And for the second time, the word 'princess' struck her hard, almost causing her to take a step back.

It had been alright when Link was the one who addressed her this way. Perhaps, in all of the entire continent now, Link and Impa were the only two people who could call her 'Princess' without making her feel as though she was going to drown in a sea of despair. She knew these two well, completely trusted this two, and knew that these two would never mean her harm, that they placed no blame on her for the past,

However, if it was anyone else, it was another case entirely. When someone else addressed her that way, it would bring her mind back to her countless failures, her lost kingdom, her dead people.

She had not noticed this before, but this revelation just painfully revealed itself, and furthermore reminded her of something agonizingly true- she was no longer a princess.

One could only be a princess when there was a kingdom.

A cold started to seep into her bones, and she could feel her mind spinning. Her willpower was crumbling and the mocking whispers were getting louder. Her vision started to get blurry, and her breaths started to get shorter and shorter.

Her mind screamed at her to get a hold of herself, but she couldn't.

She suddenly felt a warmth at her back and on her hand. The warmth drove away the coldness that had invaded her body, and her mind slowly started to clear. The spinning feeling started to fade, and her breathing started to even out.

She knew who it was before she could even clearly see him. The warmth wasn't an alien feeling. Even after a hundred years, she would never forget the feeling. It was a warmth that was unique, that could only be provided from that one person.

"Are you alright?" Link's voice floated through the air into her ears, soothing and relaxing. He had one hand patting her on her back, and another grabbing her hand, preventing her from falling while simultaneously soothing her.

She felt his strength as he held her up, felt the callouses of his palm, and her mind briefly wondered just how much suffering he had to go through to get to where he was now- a warrior, and a savior of Hyrule.

It encouraged her, as well as ashamed her. She was not the only one suffering.

Determination suddenly coursed through her veins, and she willed herself to stand up straight, even out her breathing and control her mind. In this short burst of willpower, she managed to steady herself, and rid the voices of the dark temporarily.

"I am fine, Link," Zelda replied with a thankful smile, making the gratitude she felt apparent in her voice. She and Link shared a glance, and the cold that was dwelling within her body seemed to lessen a little when she saw the worry deep in his eyes.

After that, she quickly brought her attention back to the entourage at their front, straightening her face into a respectful and graceful one, and curtsied.

"Greetings, King Dorephan," She greeted, and then with difficulty, steeled herself and forced the next words out of her mouth.

"Please address me simply as Zelda." After those words, it was as though there was a bone stuck in her throat. She could not continue saying anything- at least for that moment.

It was hard enough to concede to the fact that she no longer had a kingdom, and the only thing that was holding her together was the warmth from Link and her determination to correct her past mistakes.

She had no doubt that later that day, she would suffer nightmares about the past. Whenever she was reminded of her past mistakes- no matter how small or fleeting the thought of it was- it would cause her untold suffering mentally and emotionally.

She was tethering on a string, but she refused to break. Not at that moment. Not in front of everybody.

If she could not pull through now, how was she supposed to move forward? If she could not deal with just this one sentence, with this one _word_ , how was she supposed to face whatever was coming down the road, and pay back what was owed?

After the last sentence, a stiff silence ensued. Zelda did not know what else to say, while everyone else was lost for words. Even Muzu- whose glare had not lessened at all throughout the entire conversation- showed a stunned look.

Her words were not just humble words- she was declaring a statement. That as of that moment onward, she was no longer a princess of Hyrule, but just Zelda. At least, for her period of stay with the Zora.

They expected many things, but they never expected the princess of Hyrule to humble herself to such a level.

After all, in the old days, Hyrule had been the strongest nation, and Hyrulians the strongest race. The Zora - while indeed having their own kingdom- never matched up to the Hyrulians- whether if it was in terms of military might or national wealth.

Many of the elders here- Muzu included- had not interacted much with Hyrulians. The Hyrulian they had interacted with the most was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule and his ministers- who weren't exactly the humblest of people.

To be honest, none of them had interacted much with the Princess except the previous ambassador- whom had passed away more than half a century ago.

What they thought they would see would be a slightly aloof, proud woman who would stick to the old ways and not accept the sufferings she had wrought.

They had not expected the princess to not only be angered by their rudeness, but humble herself as well.

Zelda could tell that her words had struck a chord within the elders, and could see the animosity in their eyes lessen. Even if it was just a miniscule amount, it had worked, to which she was satisfied for the time being.

She did not expect the Zora to forgive her that easily, and she had no plans for that as well.

King Dorephan studied her for a long moment, his reptilian eyes seemingly not letting a single detail escape. Zelda wanted to shift in discomfort, but forced herself to stand firm. She could not show weakness.

"Alright, Zelda," The king's deep voice resounded across the area. "I will address you as you wish. Come, let me invite you into my humble kingdom. We have many things to discuss."

Zelda could see the shine of understanding in the king's eyes- and even concern-, and gratitude flooded into her heart. From what she remembered, the descriptions of the King of the Zora given to her by her ministers had always been positive words- wise, understanding, calm and peaceful.

"Thank you, King Dorephan," She replied as steadily as she could, curtsying once again.

She had not interacted much with the king a century ago, but when she did, those exact same words would always appear in her mind.

Even after a hundred years, and the death of a child, she could see that these qualities of his had not changed.

As the entourage walked across the great bridge that connected the mountains to the city, the elders were completely silent, their heated gaze constantly making Zelda uncomfortable, though she tried her best not to show it. King Dorephan was kind, and asked small questions such as questions about her well-being, to which she replied steadily and asked about his as well.

Link followed behind Zelda, not saying a word. He replied only when asked a question by the King. Other than that, he remained silent, to which even Zelda was helpless to change. He had never been one for many words, and what he was doing was technically not wrong.

If they followed the old customs, Link was her knight, only meant to guard and protect her, not make conversation with the king. Of course, those customs were gone, but nevertheless, he did not speak.

Zelda, however, knew what his personality was like, and apparently so did the King, as he seemed completely satisfied with Link's short answers and prolonged silence.

As they were talking, the stretch of road towards the city seemed to shorten, and in a blink of an eye, they had reached the main square.

Just as Zelda was about to reply another one of the questions posed by King Dorephan, her entire body stilled. Her mind froze, and she felt her blood turn cold. She was completely, utterly overwhelmed by what her eyes had landed upon.

Not by the fact that there seemed to be fewer Zora around, nor by the fact that there was a huge crowd of Zora staring at her and the entourage.

What she was stunned by, was the gigantic blue, crystalline statue that was so intricately carved and detailed that it looked _exactly_ like the person.

* * *

 _"Does it get lonely sometimes, being the only heir to the throne?" Mipha's curious voice floated through her ears._

 _Zelda, with difficulty, pulled her eyes away from the beautiful scenery that laid before her, and looked at Mipha with a questioning gaze._

 _They were currently sitting at the edge of a platform in the mountains that towered over the Zora domain. It was so high up, Zelda felt as though she could touch the clouds. The cool air constantly kissed her skin and the warmth of the sun washed away the fatigue that had plagued her mind from the earlier meeting with the Zora._

 _"Why do you ask?" Zelda questioned as she mulled over Mipha's words. Mipha gently smiled, and Zelda was again taken away by the almost tangible kindness she could feel emnating from the Zora._

 _"Because I, too, am a princess. I know how it's like being royalty, and it gets very lonely when other people tend to treat you distantly due to your status," For a moment, Mipha's smile waned a little, and her eyes held a tinge of sorrow. "Just because we were born to a higher status, doesn't mean we're any different from the rest, but we are nevertheless treated differently."_

 _Zelda's mind shook at her words. Yes, she had thought through this. Many times, in fact._

 _She had thought that she was the only one that thought this way- that felt sad at her own circumstances, that sometimes wished she was not born as a princess._

 _More often than not, she felt ashamed at herself for thinking that way. She felt as though she was the only one in royalty that **didn't** want to be in royalty, and didn't know how to appreciate what she had._

 _"I couldn't make friends when I was young," Mipha continued, her voice holding a tone of sadness. "One issue was that I had a rigorous regime of working on my spearmanship and studying politics. The next issue was that other children tended to shy away from me due to my status."_

 _A wry smile appeared on Mipha's face as she said those words, and she turned to look at the scenery in front of them forlornly. Zelda stayed quiet, knowing that Mipha was reminiscing the past memories._

 _"It is fortunate for me," Mipha suddenly continued, and her wry smile changed into a genuinely happy one. "That Sidon came along. That cute little brother of mine is such a ball of happiness."_

 _Zelda saw the shine in Mipha's eyes, and the way she smiled contentedly, and a huge wave of envy hit her like a ton of brick._

 _Mipha had her brother to alleviate the loneliness._

 _But she had no one._

 _Seeming as though she sensed the sudden drastic change of mood, Mipha turned and looked at Zelda, studying her attentively. They stared at each other for a moment. Then, a light of understanding seemed to dawn in Mipha's eyes, and she smiled gently, as though she understood what Zelda was thinking at that very moment, as though she knew what Zelda was feeling about what she said._

 _A slightly nervous smile suddenly appeared on Mipha's face, and Zelda suddenly had feelings of caution swell up inside of her. It was not that she did not trust the Zora Princess, but that she was somewhat surprised by the sudden change of attitude._

 _Futhermore, it was rare to see the Zora princess in a nervours state. From the previous few months of interacting with her frequently, she had come to know that very few things seemed to disturb the calm and peaceful demeanor that she usually had._

 _Mipha placed her hand on top of Zelda's- which was resting on her lap- and took a deep breath before speaking._

 _"Zelda," Mipha started, her eyes twinkling as she looked straight at Zelda's confused ones. "Why not we be sisters? I know we are not related by blood, and we are of two different kingdoms, but I can feel a kindred spirit within you."_

 _Zelda was shocked silent for a long, long moment, her eyes as wide as saucers as she simply stared at her fellow princess with an agape mouth. After a good three seconds, she saw the twinkle in Mipha's eyes dim a little, and she felt Mipha pull her hand away._

 _"If you do not want to, it-" Mipha's voice seemed a little downcast, but Zelda cut her short before she could even complete her sentence._

 _"Yes," Zelda was surprised at the firmness of her own voice, but the moment the word came out, she knew that she really meant it._

 _The twinkle in Mipha's eyes brightened, and a laugh escaped Mipha's mouth- a carefree, tingling, mesmerizing laugh which caused a completely different kind of warmth that the sun brought to coarse through her veins and enter her heart._

 _A moment later, a huge grin surfaced on her face, and a light laugh of her own accompanied the other princess' one._

* * *

"Mipha..." Zelda couldn't prevent the whisper from escaping her mouth. Anything else, she could have handled. It could have been the jeers from the Zora surrounding her, it could have been the insults of the elders, it could have been the biting words of Muzu- but the moment the statue of Mipha entered her sight, the moment the image of Mipha entered her mind, the gates of the dam broke.

Her recently calmed emotions started to storm again, and her thoughts started to go out of control. Her vision blurred- this time due to the tears starting to form in her eyes. She slowly walked towards the statue that looked so much like her former friend and comrade, her weak, shaking legs carrying her there one step at a time.

At some point of time, the entire surroundings had become silent. Nobody was moving, nobody was talking. Everyone's attention was focused on the single, shaking figure in the middle of the square who was slowly dragging herself towards the statue of their beloved champion,

Even King Dorephan and his entourage had stopped and kept silent. The elders were all staring at Zelda, their eyes showing a mix of emotions. Muzu observed quietly, and if one observed carefully, they would have noticed that his fins were shivering, even though his face remained unreadable.

King Dorephan himself looked at Zelda with a sombre silence, his eyes exposing a rare look of weariness and age which he usually kept hidden, along with a sympathetic and understanding gaze. His eyes then traveled to the person behind,

Like a shadow, just like a century ago, Link followed behind.

The sight caused the King to be hit with a strong sense of sentiment, and his thoughts traveled back to a hundred years ago. His eyes shined as he held back the tears that threatened to fall.

There was a saying:"time heals all wounds", but the loss of a daughter would leave a scar on his heart that would never fade.

For the first time in a long time, the entire Zora kingdom was silent and still, their attention focused solely on one person.

Zelda herself was unaware of all of this. She heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing. The only thing that her mind was focused on was the statue a few feet away from her, on the image of a person she had treasured as much as her own family, on a face she had not seen in more than a century.

The feelings of guilt and grief and sorrow and pain that usually laid dormant erupted within her, and it took all her willpower just to keep herself from blacking out.

The moment she saw the statue, only one thought came to her mind.

Finally, as her legs were almost about to give out and the edges of her vision were starting to turn black, she reached the statue.

Staring forlornly at the face of her old-time friend, at her sworn sister, a sob wracked her body, followed by another, and another. Clear, crystal tears traveled down her cheeks, reaching the tip of her chin and dripping onto the ground.

"I'm sorry," Zelda chocked out with the last of her strength through the sobs, and she gave in to the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

**Link**

"How is she?"

A concerned voice pulled Link out of solemn daze.

"Sidon," Link didn't need to turn his head to see who had entered- he would recognize Sidon's voice anywhere.

Link felt Sidon walk up beside him. He sighed, and shook his head, weariness showing on his face.

"It's been three days," Link replied, his usually emotionless voice filled with worry. "She shows no signs of waking up."

Silence descended upon the room after his statement.

Link's eyes studied Zelda's face closely. With the warm rays of dawn that came through the window illuminating her face, she looked like a sleeping beauty- peaceful, calm, tranquil.

But Link knew better. She was far from being at peace, and even further from being tranquil.

Sidon sighed after a few seconds, and walked around the soft, comfortable queen-sized bed that Zelda rested upon to the sole window of the room, staring out at the view that it provided.

The room that they were currently residing in was one of the Palace's most luxurious guest rooms, overlooking the entire Zora's Domain. It was in the wee hours of the morning, and the sun was just appearing in the horizon, painting the sky a soft, orange glow and causing the waters to reflect a comfortable radiance.

It was a wonderful sight to behold, but Link could not bring himself to enjoy any of that.

"I remember her," Sidon suddenly started, startling Link. With much difficulty, Link tore his eyes away from Zelda, focusing on Sidon- whose back was facing him at that moment.

"The very first time I met her was the at tallest waterfall. At that time, I was having training with my sister," Sidon's voice held a trace of nostalgia, as well as a well-hidden sadness and weariness. "She came midway through our training, and told my sister that she was one of the Champions."

A huge sigh- one that Link had not heard from this seemingly perpetual happy-go-lucky prince before- resounded across the room. "I never expected to see her again."

Link patiently heard him out, refraining from interrupting his train of thoughts. He understood Sidon well- Sidon was, after all, his closest friend in the current times.

Sidon often seemed playful and completely free of worries. Even when Vah Ruta was going crazy and spouting water at an alarming, unstoppable rate, Sidon had kept up his unworried and positive attitude.

It was only Link that knew that deep within Sidon, he held a sadness that weighed on him like a ton, and a sense of responsibility and duty that was passed down from his sister to him that he took extremely seriously.

It wasn't because Sidon had told him. He himself had not told Sidon much about how he felt, but he knew that Sidon knew as well.

They were, after all, similar to each other. Of course, not in the way they usually behave- in that aspect, they were polar opposites.

The facades they hid themselves with were completely different, but the way they viewed the world, their mindsets and the way they reacted to things were one and the same.

"For a long time, I blamed her," Sidon's voice was strained, as though he had incredible difficulty speaking his thoughts out- which he probably did. Link kept silent, not saying anything, not _knowing_ what to say. There were no words he could use to comfort Sidon.

"The first few years after Calamity Ganon awakened, I deeply felt the lost of my sister," Sidon continued. His shoulders were tensed, and his body was stiff like a board. "I was very young- not even five years old in human age."

"Blinded by lost, I channeled my sadness to anger- anger towards Calamity Ganon, anger towards Hyrulians, anger towards Princess Zelda," Sidon didn't say anything for the next few moments, quietly looking out of the window.

Link didn't know what Sidon was looking at, but he could infer that Sidon was thinking about the past.

"I carried that anger for many years. During that period, I cursed the princess many times. I thought that it was due to the princess' inability that she could not unlock her powers. I thought that it was because the princess had not tried hard enough, had not cared enough about the impending doom that lead to my sister's eventual death."

Link lowered his head, and a sense of melancholy seeped into his bones. He honestly had not known how Sidon would react to the return of Zelda, but he had _hoped_ Sidon would be supportive. Judging from his words so far, Sidon was less than likely to have any positive feelings towards Zelda.

"Then, I read my sister's diary," Sidon's next words, however, caused hope to mix to with the melancholy. Link's body shook, surprise evident on his face.

In hindsight, he should not have been so surprised. Of course, it was normal for people to have diaries. He himself knew that Zelda herself often wrote in her diary- although he had never gotten the chance to see exactly what she wrote inside.

"Even after death, my sister still managed to guide me," Sidon no longer held back the grief- it fully showed in his voice- so heavy and deep that it resonated with Link's heart, causing sadness to seep into him as well.

"I read through all of her entries- from the first to the last," Sidon turned around from the window, and his eyes landed on Zelda. Link was shocked speechless when he saw the sympathy and understanding that swirled within Sidon's eyes.

It definitely was not what he expected. Even if Sidon was not angry at Zelda any longer, he would still have a trace of resentment. It had been their duty to stop Calamity Ganon, and they did it a hundred years late.

No matter what legitimate reasons they had, a hundred years was still a hundred years. They may not have been at fault, but the people who suffered would never see it that way.

"The more I read, the more anger flowed out of me, till I had none left," Sidon continued with a wry smile. He then looked at Link, his face showing a rare trace of seriousness.

"Her diary described Zelda's exploits, her travels, her sacrifices. As I read, I admit that I felt ashamed of being angry at her," Sidon shook his head, chuckling mockingly at himself.

"Comparing her to myself, the things I have done pale in comparison. I spent the early childhood years of my life enjoying the love of my sister and my father, spending those days playing around and not knowing about the troubles of the world. I also wasted many of my teenage years wailing in my misery and anger, not even thinking about how to better the lives of my people, how to better myself into the future King my people needed."

"Zelda had to shoulder the burden of leading the champions, trained from such a young age. When her mother had passed away when she was six, she held on to her duty so strongly that she would not let herself express her emotions, even at her mother's funeral."

"After that, instead of being there for his daughter, the grieving king became even harsher and firmer on her. She had to work even harder, even more tirelessly, without the emotional support of any family or friends."

Sidon paused for a moment, and let out a long breath. Link stared sadly at Zelda's peaceful- yet pale- face.

Link couldn't remember much of his past life, but he had regained bits and pieces. Some were from his childhood- and he vaguely remembered seeing the princess within the castle from time to time.

He had thought the princess always looked sad, but being as young as he was, he had not known just how much grief and pain the princess had been going through.

"Do you know," Sidon continued, his voice wistful. "That Zelda and my sister became sworn sisters?" That piece of information shocked Link- he had not known. Neither Mipha nor Zelda had ever revealed that fact to anyone. Sidon, seeing his shocked expression, chuckled lightly.

"Guess you didn't. In a way, doesn't this mean that Princess Zelda is somewhat like my sister as well?" Sidon's voice became gentler. Link realized that Sidon's voice was sincere- he truly regarded Zelda as his sister.

"My sister was always a good judge of character. If she trusted Princess Zelda and liked her so much as to become sworn sisters with her, I would trust her decision." Sidon once again stared out of the window, and Link finally noticed what Sidon had been staring at the entire time.

The beautifully crafted statue of Mipha wielding her spear reflected the warm rays of sunlight that grew increasingly bright as it slowly revealed itself beyond the horizon. Another bout of silence descended between the two of them, both quietly contemplating and remembering as they looked at the statue.

"I may not know Princess Zelda on any deep level, but I wish to," Sidon's voice broke through the silence.

"I want to find out just what kind of person could be held in such high regard by my dearest sister."

Sidon shifted his eyes away from the statue of his beloved sister, and took one last long look at Zelda. Link could see genuine worry and affection in his eyes, and a surge of gratitude rose within him.

"...Thank you," Link said, his blue eyes meeting Sidon's yellow ones. This time, Link did not hide his emotions from his voice- he allowed the heartfelt gratitude he had to seep into it.

He knew that Sidon did not simply come here to ramble on about his own thoughts and feelings. Sidon had said all that to tell him something- that no matter what the elders said, no matter what the King thought, no matter what the world presumed of Zelda, Sidon would stand by Zelda's side.

It took a huge load off Link's mind, and also lessened the burden that he had felt weighing him down for the past few weeks.

While SIdon was not king yet, he had considerable influence among the Zora- perhaps even more than the elders themselves. To have his genuine support would make it a lot easier for both him and Zelda in the coming days.

Sidon, hearing his gratitude, laughed cheerfully. The somberness was gone, replaced by a genuine happiness. The change was extremely abrupt, but Link understood that it was in Sidon's character to not dwell in sad matters. He himself was glad as well- it was good to have Sidon to lighten the mood. Both he and Zelda were not the most positive of people.

"Thinking about it, I pale in comparison to you as well," Sidon's sudden, completely random words stunned Link for a moment. He then laughed when he saw Link's confused and stunned look.

"Don't look at me like that. My sister's diary did not only consist of the sacrifices the Princess had made. You and her were childhood friends- she fully recorded how much you changed, and how much you gave up for your duty, and also your loss."

Sidon suddenly straightened his back, and bowed to Zelda and him in succession. Link could not even react, completely astonished by his actions. Sidon stared at him straight in the eye, his grinning face replaced by a respectful and appreciative one.

"I am sure that no one has yet to thank you and the Princess for your sacrifice for this continent," Sidon said, and gave him a smile that was filled with gratitude. "On behalf of everyone on this continent, I thank the both of you for sacrificing so much to save us all."

Link's eyes were as wide as saucers, and his jaw had dropped. Sidon's words pierced straight into his heart, and a warm feeling spread throughout his body.

He had never done anything to be repaid- his mind had always simply thought that defeating the calamity was his duty and required no repayment.

Nevertheless, knowing that people appreciated what he and Zelda had done was still a good feeling.

Sidon glanced one last time at the sleeping princess, then gave Link his usual bright, carefree grin with his signature thumbs up.

"I believe in you. Both of you. Whatever you guys do from now on, I'm sure you will make everything right." Sidon said before walking towards the doorway. "And I'm sure Zelda would wake up. She is a strong one," Sidon's eyes held a trace of worry, but also confidence.

Link had no idea just where the Zora prince got that confidence from, but it seemed infectious, as he himself started to feel a little more hopeful and a little less hopeless.

Just before Sidon closed the door behind him, his body stilled, before he turned around.

"I almost forgot," He said while chuckling at himself, his head popping out of the half-closed doorway.

"My sister had left letters in her diary for both you and Zelda. She also left one for me." Sidon's bright eyes dimmed for a moment, and his smile seemed to abate a bit, but he bounced back almost immediately after.

"Remind me to pass it to you guys after Zelda wakes up- just in case I forget." Sidon gave one last signature thumbs up and grin before closing the door, leaving Link to mull upon everything he said.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi there!**

 **Sorry about the late update!(I mean, it was supposed to come in yesterday or the day before I think) but yea last week was chinese new year, and I'm still in the holiday mood so I haven't exactly been writing much, but thank you for all the favs/follows!**

 **As I have mentioned a lot earlier, this story is much heavily focused between Link and Zelda, and yea many of my chapters will focus on these two, so I do hope you enjoy this kind of things instead of all the action-based stuff and politics and stuff!**

 **Please do give constructive criticisms(or you know, review that you like it cuz support is always appreciated :) ) and tell me what you think in the reviews HAHA**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Edit: I typed this chapter out pretty late, and realise that there's plenty issues with this. Read through this once again and updated it.**

 **~Kuntakintae**

* * *

 **Zelda**

The first thing that Zelda was conscious of was the excruciating headache that throbbed painfully within her head.

Her eyelids felt like they were made of lead as she tried to open her eyes. The piercing rays of light that immediately attacked them caused her to wince and her already painful headache to worsen a notch.

She tried to lift up her arm to cover her eyes, but found that she couldn't. Her arms felt like they weighed a ton, and her entire body felt weak and numb- as though it had not been active for a substantial amount of time.

For a heart-stricken moment, she thought that she was back within calamity Ganon- trapped and stuck in endless limbo, unable to move or feel- and a surge of panic erupted inside her.

The panic was quashed almost immediately after, however, when the fact that it was due to _light_ that she could not open her eyes.

Light was never present when she was within Calamity Ganon.

Her next assumption- she was dead, and she was already residing in heaven.

She then thought sardonically that if being in heaven still gave her such horrible headaches, she would rather just never wake up.

But, as tempting as it was to sink back into the peaceful lull of unconsciousness, she forced herself to stay awake, to keep her eyes open. She had to know exactly where she was, and had to know what exactly was happening.

Slowly- _painfully_ slowly- her eyes adjusted to the light, and it took a full five minutes before she could open her eyes fully without feeling as though the blinding light would burn right through her irises.

The first thing her eyes laid upon was the very source of the light. A huge, square window- and also the only window in the room- revealed the sun burning proudly and brightly high in the sky. Seeing the clear blue sky from her angle, whatever panic she and fear she had felt before leaked out of her- she was evidently still alive, and on earth.

A frown appeared on her face as she tried to recall what had happened. Her mind was still sluggish, and her thoughts were agonizingly slow. The images in her mind were all blurry and fuzzy, while her memories were in a mess.

 _Finally_ feeling the smallest amount of strength trickling into her body, she groaned in effort as she propped herself up on one shaky hand, barely succeeding in bringing herself fully upright before her arm lost strength and she collapsed against the wall behind her, knocking her head lightly in the process- which felt like a boulder crashing into her skull.

After a full minute of gritting her teeth and tightly shutting her eyes while clenching her fists, the pain in her head subsided into the throbbing headache it was before. It was still a horrible feeling, but at least it was barely bearable.

She then opened her eyes and observed the room, moving her neck as little as possible as her eyes roamed around the small area, trying to take in as much detail as usual.

Blue, coral-like walls, with unique designs that seemed very similar to the Zora's personal artistry. Soft, glowing blue pearls that were attached to the four corners of her bed- a luxury design, considering that these pearls were extremely rare and could only be found by the Zora. The heavy scent of marine nature engulfed the air as well.

Even the dress she was wearing- a pristine white, silky, sleeveless night gown that went down to just below her knee- screamed Zora, if the precious, pink pearls that were used as buttons had anything to say about it.

Her eyes widened as the memories suddenly gushed into her mind, like a dam had been holding it back and it was now open. She was in the Zora's domain. She had met the king, and the chancellors, She had faced the scorn of the elders, the hatred or Muzu. She had been trying to mend that...

And then she saw Mipha.

All thoughts and worries of how the king would react, of how the elders would think of her, of how the entire _Zora race_ would think of her could not impede or stop the gush of grief and pain that had swept through her.

Mipha had been a huge part of her life- she had been one of the pillars of support she heavily relied on. Mipha held a special place in her heart- Link was her best friend, while Urbosa was like a mother to her, but Mipha was someone she could really relate to. They had been under similar circumstances, experiencing similar things.

If she was to say who had understood her the most a century ago, she would have named Mipha immediately, without hesitation.

In the end, it had been herself that failed Mipha as well.

The tears slid down almost immediately as she stared into blank space.

She did not try to wipe her tears, nor did she try to stem the flow. She let the tears flow freely, flowing steadily and slowly from her eyes, down her cheeks, and finally dripping off the tip of her chin to the bedding.

Not a sound escaped her lips- not a single sob or sniffle escaped her lips. Her body showed no signs of shaking or trembling. She was too exhausted for that- both physically and emotionally.

Gradually, her tears stopped flowing, and her cheeks dried. Yet, she did not move, opting to stare into blank space as the raging emotions that she was experiencing slowly whittled away in the form of her crystal-clear tears. All that was left was an even more exhausted mind, a tired heart and an emptiness in her chest.

The room was still and silent- safe for the constant swaying of her golden locks and the sound of a gentle breeze whistling softly against her ears as the sea breeze came in through the window.

Zelda leaned against the bed frame behind her, and leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes as she tried to take advantage of the peaceful and calm period of time to sort herself and her emotions out.

Mipha was painful, and it _hurt,_ but Mipha was- Zelda winced as the words went through her head- of the past, and Zelda had to look to the future.

But no matter how much she tried to organize her thoughts, no matter how much she tried to calm her emotions and will her mind to think about how to handle the politics with the Zora- which was already in a disastrous state due to her recent breakdown and blackout- she could not.

The whispers trying to get her to focus on the issue at hand were completely drowned out by the roaring of accusatory and grieving voices, and the emotions she tried to push away were like an immovable wall that refused to budge.

The sound of the doorknob turning entered her ears, completely surprising her. She had been too dazed, too deep in the bottomless pit of negative emotions and thoughts that she had not heard the footsteps that had stopped right outside her door.

Her hands, with a sudden burst of energy, shot up to her face as she tried to to clear away the tear tracks desperately. Her eyes glanced at her own condition, and her heart sunk- she knew that she would not be able to look presentable by the time whoever it was at the door entered the room.

Due to her struggling, her nightgown was very obviously crumpled. Her hair- which had been untied and unbraided- stuck to her tear-streaked face and was pretty much messy in every way. Even a dark patch could be seen on the white bedding just below her chin- no thanks to the tears from before.

She prayed to the goddess that it would not be anybody of importance, that it would not be any of the high-ranking Zoras or even worse- the king himself. Her heart started to thump against her chest _hard,_ and at a rate that could only be described as unnaturally fast.

Clearing her throat softly, and forcing herself to sit up straight and place her hands on her lap, she stared nervously as the door opened, ready to give her best performance- even if her head was throbbing once again and her body felt like it was on fire.

As soon as she saw who it was, however, all the tensed muscles loosened, and a wave of relief crashed into her. She- in lack of better words- deflated back into her previous position, not withholding the groan that came out of her mouth.

Her neck turned into Jelly, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she prepared for a whole world of pain as her head made it's way towards the wall behind.

The pain never came, however. Instead she felt a soft, gentle yet firm hand wrap around the back of her head, preventing her skull from crashing into the wall.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Link asked, and she could see the burning concern in his usually emotionless eyes, as well as relief- lots of relief that warmed her heart. He must have been plenty worried when she had fainted. She smiled back tiredly, allowing him to slowly rest her head back against the wall.

"I have felt better," Zelda replied softly. Link's face softened a little as he stared at her, and she felt a tinge of happiness seeing that, as well as a slight hint of embarrassment- but she was too exhausted to even bother about those emotions.

At that very moment, all she felt was relief and happiness.

Link was, perhaps, the only person in the current world that she would allow to see her in such a sorry state. A wry smile emerged on her face as she thought and realised that even in the past, the person who had seen her in her most sorry state was _also_ Link, though he might not remember it yet.

"How long have I been...asleep?" She hesitated before asking, unable to find better words.

"Five days," Zelda's eyes widened in shock when she heard the answer, and she almost wanted to shoot right up before Link placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her as he shook his head. He didn't say anything, but Zelda understood his intention. After a brief moment of hesitation, she relaxed her tensed muscles, and a burning soreness shot through her body, causing a small grimace to appear on her face.

"I brought you water," Link said, grabbing a shining silver cup from the cupboard beside the bed and making a motion to pass it to her. When he saw her shaking hand, however, a frown emerged on his face.

She saw his body stiffen for a moment, and a flicker of hesitation appeared in his eyes, but it was immediately washed away by the determination that replaced it.

"Let me help you," he said, bringing the cup to her hand, and then encasing her hand before guiding her hand to her mouth. Her cheeks started to flame, and she tried her best not to show the shame and embarrassment on her face.

She had always been an independent woman, and ever since she turned five, no one had ever fed her ever again.

However, she couldn't reject Link's aid, as she herself knew that she was ridiculously weak at that very moment, and the very second that Link's hands left hers would be when the cup of water slips out of her fingers.

Furthermore, even though she would never admit it, she felt a little sense of satisfaction when it was Link aiding he. Her cheeks turned to an even darker shade of red, and she forced the thought out of her mind.

Once the embarrassing ordeal was over, and Link had placed the cup back onto the cupboard, a silence descended between them. Zelda had no idea what to say- and she was still reeling from her shock and blackout- so all she could think of doing was to avoid Link's gaze, and stare out of the window.

Strangely, the silence turned out to be not-so-awkward, and into something more of a contemplative silence. She was aware of the fact that Link knew how she had been before he entered the room- it was pretty obvious, judging from the state he had caught her in.

Even if it wasn't, Link would still be able to tell.

The corners of her lips upturned ever so slightly as she thought about it. In the past, when she had been distraught, downtrodden, grieved or disappointed, Link had always known what to do. It was as though it was an instinct to him- he knew when she needed a comforting touch, when she needed a peaceful silence, when she needed a good fruitcake to cheer her up.

It seemed that that particular instinct had not left him. She appreciated the silence he gave her, as well as the comforting presence he exuded.

Sometimes, all that was needed to comfort someone was a moment of quiet, and the presence of someone who genuinely cares.

The silence lasted for a very long time. No words were spoken- they weren't needed. There was a tacit understanding between them- one that time and memories could not get in between, evidently.

"Thank you, once again," Zelda whispered, almost inaudibly with the gentle breeze blowing against their ears, but she knew that Link could- and would- hear her words.

There was a short silence, and she could see from the corner of her eye that Link was struggling about what to say.

"It is my duty," Link's answer pierced straight though her heart, and she could feel a knot of disappointment form at the pit of her stomach. She had known that would be what he would say in the end, but she still wished that he would say something else.

She steeled herself, telling herself in her mind that Link had not recovered all his memories yet, and that was the reason why he was still so formal around her, why he still called her 'Princess', why he still felt like a knight simply serving his ruler.

But it still hurt, and it hurt _alot._

Link brought her the greatest relief and comfort in this new era, but also the greatest pain and suffering.

She almost wanted to tell Link not to say that, not to say those accursed words that kept on _reminding_ her that he was not the Link she knew- not completely.

But what good would her words do? Even if she did say it, Link could not simply just transform all his feelings with a mere sentence. If he tried to act differently, it would not be genuine, and it would probably do more bad than good.

Not for the first time, she wondered why fate was so twisted.

She winced as a particularly painful throb attacked her head, and coupled along with the complete mess of emotions she was feeling at that very moment, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Are you alright, princess?" He asked, his voice carrying concern. He then came forward and placed his palm gently on her forehead- his skin cool at the touch. Zelda looked at his worried eyes, and the slight furrow that was plastered on his face, and once again, the conundrum of emotions battered at her heart like a wrecking ball into a steel wall.

"Don't call me princess," Zelda said before she could even think, and her eyes widened a fraction as she said that. Link- judging by the surprised look on his face- was not expecting it as well. Zelda bit the bottom of her lip slightly, and berated herself silently.

She wanted to blame it on the fever she was currently having- and to be fair, it was to a certain extent- but she also knew that she would not have said it if she had not been so bitingly affected by the fact that Link treated her more of a princess and less of a friend.

She wanted to explain, to take back her words, but she had no idea how to. What should she say, what should she do? She could try to make excuses- examples being that she was no longer a princess as there was no longer any kingdom- but she knew that Link would see right through her facade. He had one of the sharpest minds she knew.

Both Link and her knew what she had meant when she said that statement, but neither really knew how to respond to that completely out of place words that inadvertently came out of her mouth.

An awkward silence ensued, and Link retrieved his hand slowly. Zelda's eyes were stuck to the soft blanket covering the lower half of her body, and her arms were just _itching_ to clasp together- something she tended to do when she was extremely nervous.

A small tinge of fear snaked its way into her heart- a fear that her comment would drive a wedge between them, a fear that her statement would completely destroy whatever relationship they had been slowly rebuilding the past few weeks.

The more she thought, the more the fear grew. She should have controlled her mouth, should have stopped those god-forsaken words from escaping her lips. Link should be feeling very awkward now- or even worse, _annoyed._ Annoyed that she wanted him to become someone he could not, annoyed that she kept pushing him to step across his comfort zones, annoyed that she-

Suddenly, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders gently, halting her train of thoughts. Her eyes shot up, and she met Link's ones straight on. There was something unreadable in those eyes of his, but she could tell that her statement had not done anything that she had feared. He was not annoyed, and neither did his eyes hold a hint of being distant or uncomfortable.

Instead, she could see the obvious worry and concern that shone within them, and her fears drained out of her.

"You need to rest," He said, before helping her gently to lie back down on her bed. She immediately wanted to protest, to say that she had things to attend to- the king to meet, the elders to convince, _Muzu-_

But the moment she opened her mouth, her eyebrows arching as she wanted to protest, Link shook his head firmly, fixing a severe stare at her- one which she had not seen for a long time.

"You are running too high a fever. The King and the elders can wait- you will not be able to have a proper meeting with them in your current state." Link's firm voice quashed the protests that had threatened to spew right out of her mouth. She resignedly nodded- his words made sense, no matter how unwilling she was to admit it.

Carefully, he placed her head on the comfortable pillow before bringing the blanket right up to her chin. An image flashed across her mind almost immediately.

* * *

" _You are sick. Please do rest," Link's voice held a hint of exasperation as he stood at her doorway, not allowing her to leave the room._

 _"Link, I have many things to attend to. Calamity Ganon is right around the corner, and I have not made a single progress in my prayers! I need to get to the praying room-"_

 _"You need to get some rest. It would be the greatest irony if you fell to a high fever before the calamity even strikes," Link replied steadily, before sighing and grabbing her arm- gently- and bringing her to her bed._

 _"Link-" She tried, but a short, serious stare from her protector cowed her- if not for the moment._

 _"Rest," He said shortly but firmly, before helping her into her bed, and then gently pulling the sheets up to her chin level, making sure she was well insulated from the cold that plagued the winter's night._

 _Then, he walked back to the doorway, and turned back one last time, saying-_

* * *

"Rest well, Zelda," Link's voice- a little deeper but also a little softer than the one in her memory- floated through her ears, and her eyes shot to the doorway in shock, but said man had already disappeared behind it.

As the astonishment that had sparked within her settled down, and the shock that hit her like a tidal wave trickled away, a small smile crept up to her lips, and she closed her eyes.

Sleep found her easily after that.


	10. Chapter 10

**A little late(Sorry!) but hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **~Kuntakintae**

* * *

 **Link**

Link sat at the edge of the platform, hands straight behind him as he leaned back, letting his feet dangle just short of touching the water below. A gentle breeze made his hair flutter, causing his slightly messy hair to become even more ruffled. He stared as small, gentle waves softly washed themselves against the concrete below his feet, a stray droplet occasionally touching the bottom of his boots.

He had no idea why he was there. It was not as though the particular location was the most beautiful place he had ever been to- nor was it the most peaceful place. But...there was something pulling him here, and whilst it was admittedly not the most beautiful or peaceful place in all of Hyrule, it brought him a peace and comfort- for reasons he _frustratingly_ could not identify.

He was sure that this place had held a special meaning to him, but he could not remember, could not recall. It irked him a great deal.

He sighed.

The last time he had been to the reservoir, he had not had luxury to appreciate the tranquil scenery that the location boasted, nor had he had the time to enjoy the calm ambience that the location bestowed. In fact, when he had been here, the scenery had not been tranquil, neither had the ambience been calm.

It had been a year since he first stepped foot onto the platform he was currently at.

He had stood right at where he was sitting with Sidon- clueless, with much of his memory still lost and his body in the midst of recuperating- preparing to fight to the death to defeat the Waterblight Ganon, to return Vah Ruta to it's rightful owner.

He remembered the fear he had felt facing the monstrous machine, the confusion that had roiled within him as he wondered why it was _him_ that was fighting, the urge to flee when he saw the Waterblight for the first time, and the pitiful shreds of courage he had to scrounge up to finally overcome this first trial.

In many ways, Vah Ruta had been the worst - harder than even Calamity Ganon itself. When he had faced Vah Ruta, he had only been awake for two months. His memories had still been a blank space and his body had not yet recovered to even half his original strength- and suddenly there he was, facing one of the four most powerful machinery in known existence and holding the fate of an entire race on his shoulders.

Somehow, he managed to pull through. Whether it was the blessing of the Goddesses, or simply pure luck, he had managed to stick his sword into the chest of the Waterblight, and had freed Vah Ruta from its grasp, returning it to its previous owner.

Regret and longing seeped into him as his gaze fell upon the gigantic, immobile machine that stood in the middle of the lake. It was already late afternoon- slmot evening- and the sun hHis mind went back to when Mipha had appeared before him- incorporeal and translucent- just after he had freed her spirit. The regret and longing that had been gradually growing suddenly exploded within him, causing him to grit his teeth and clench his fists.

Oh how had he wished that he had remembered more, that he had spoken to her more. The only memory he had then was the scene which he had only just recovered- her healing his wounds whilst they sat on the trunk of Vah Ruta.

He had neither known what to say nor what to do when Mipha suddenly appeared before him as a spirit. When he thought back, he realised that Mipha had probably known as well- that he could not remember her, that he did not know what to say to her.

Guilt jumped right into the swirling mass of regret and longing even though he knew that it was not his fault that he had not remembered her at that time. Yet, he could not help but feel pain while trying to imagine what Mipha had felt- him, standing right there, but not remembering anything about his childhood friend, about her.

Mipha's heart must have hurt a lot.

He closed his eyes and let out another weary sigh, before giving himself a wry smile as he briefly thought about how much he was sighing. It was not often that Link let out his emotions, but the recent turn of events -along with his returning memories of Mipha- really made it impossible for him to maintain his composed demeanor.

Keeping his eyes closed, he decided to try to turn his attention away from his feelings, and from the thoughts of the past that plagued him mercilessly. He turned his attention to the soft kiss of the breeze against his skin, the comfortable warmth that wrapped his body like a cocoon, the rhythmic sound of the peaceful waves softly hitting against the platform.

His mind wandered to the scene that had happened a few hours before. To say that he was relieved that Zelda was awake would be quite the understatement.

Whilst he had not recovered all memories of Zelda, it was a fact that the person he had the most memories about was Zelda. Even if he included the people he knew in the present time, Zelda would still take the prize as the person he had the most memories of.

He had spent most of the year training himself back to shape and running around the continent in order to set the divine beasts free and defeat Calamity Ganon. Sure, he had spent a considerable amount of time with the Zoras, Gorons, Gerudo as well as the Rito. However, most of the time he had spent there had been running errands and freeing the divine beasts- he had not had the time to relax and enjoy the time spent with the people he met.

In other words, in a way, Zelda was the closest friend he had at the current moment, no matter how much it _didn't_ seem like it, if the way they acted around each other had anything to say about it.

If- he thought ruefully- if they had not had such an unclear relationship, it would have made things a lot easier. The blank spaces of his memory of the times the both of them shared stretched their relationship thin, and it caused him to constantly mull over just what their exact relationship had been like.

Had they been lovers? Or simply the best of friends? Had they had a sibling-like relationship, or was it more distant than that?

It was hard to know how to act around her when he didn't even know what she expected out of him. He knew that they both cared for each other dearly, and his memories pointed to them being much closer than simply having a protector-princess relationship, but he did not know how close or how comfortable he should act around her.

How could he draw the line if he didn't even know where he stood in her life? Where she had stood in his?

His mind played through the entire time he had spent with Zelda, and a small, genuine smile crept up onto his face as he recalled the final scene.

It had been a huge risk- calling her Zelda instead of 'Princess'. The line was still not drawn clearly, and he did not know if it was really alright for him to call her by her name. It had taken a lot of bravery- or others might name it foolishness- to actually listen to her and call her by her name.

To be honest, the only reason why he had dared was because during the contemplative silence that they had had whilst sitting together in the room quietly, he had suddenly regained a certain part of his memory while observing her basking in the sunlight.

A scene from a hundred years ago, when she had been- similar to the present- sick with a fever and still insisted to leave the castle and move around. He had done followed what he did a hundred years ago- the exact same actions, and had spoken the exact same words he told her a hundred years ago.

Judging by the astonished look that had plastered itself on her face- he saw it just before the door closed-, she had remembered that scene. It warmed his heart to know that even after a hundred years, such a small thing he had done for her was still remembered by her.

While he was not sure how that statement would affect their relationship, there was nothing he could do as of now. How things proceeded was now left for Zelda to decide. He sighed for the third time since he sat down, and quashing the wriggling worm of worry that had been squirming within him.

He had tried to bridge the gap. He had done his part.

Yet, even as he told himself all this, even as he tried to convince himself not to worry, the fear was like a stubborn cockroach, never able to die.

Exhaustion started to cloud his mind, and drowsiness began to overtake his senses as he struggled with his thoughts and emotions. He had not slept well due to the worry and concern over Zelda's well-being. The maximum number of hours of sleep he had had the past few days averaged only around two to three hours per day- leaving him tired physically, mentally as well as emotionally.

With Zelda finally out of her coma, his heart finally managed to calm to a certain extent, thus he could finally allow himself to relax. He took a minute to ponder upon whether he should take a short rest here, or to move to a more secluded, private location to rest.

In the end, he chose to stay. He could still feel the strange attraction this specific location gave him, as though it held something important. While he did not know what it was, he had his guesses.

Anyway, this place was the most secluded area already within the Zora domain- excluding the mountains, of course.

Laying himself down on the platform- he brought an arm up and rested it over his eyes, blocking the sun, while the other arm went to rest on his stomach. He then let out a long breath, and the darkness quickly pulled him in.

* * *

 _Link's eyes were wide open as he stared at the gigantic structure in the middle of the lake. In all his life, the largest structure he had seen was Hyrule Castle itself, but if he had to choose between the two, the one in front of him was much more magnificent and appealing than Hyrule Castle. It gave off such an ancient and majestic aura- something that Hyrule castle possessed, but to a much lesser extent._

 _His eyes made its way down to the platform below. Curiosity and interest sparked within him when he saw a short, small figure sitting at the edge of the platform- a black silhouette against the sun-, staring at the lake._

 _It was late afternoon- already close to evening. Half the sun was already blocked from his view by the mountains that cradled the lake, and glowed a soft orange that reflected beautifully on the lake itself._

 _He squinted as he tried to recognize who it was, but could not make out any features from where he was standing. For a moment, he hesitated about whether he should make his way down to where the other person was- his father had told him not to interact too much with the Zora after his disastrous performance when first meeting the King._

 _In the end, however, his curiosity won out- as it always did- and he gave in to his adventurous spirit, jumping down the ledge from where he stood and creeping up to the platform._

 _It was only when he was only a few meters behind the figure that he finally recognized who it was, and his entire body froze._

 _It was the Zora princess he had seen before- the one with pretty red fins and skin and looked kind of cute. He immediately started regretting his decision. Of all the people he had to meet, he met up with the one person he had embarrassed himself in front of._

 _Being as silent and stealthy as he could, he started to step backwards- and winced when he kicked a god-forsaken pebble that had somehow made it's way behind his foot._

 _The Zora Princess, upon hearing the sound of the pebble, did the most unexpected thing he would ever expect from a princess- she let out a high-pitched yelp, her whole body jerking in shock. A second later, a small splash could be heard, and Link could only stare with his mouth hanging when he saw the princess floundering in the water._

 _Shortly afterwards, the princess finally got her bearings and began to calm down, only her head being above the water as she turned to look at who had caught her in such an embarrassing situation. Their eyes met, and a small gasp escaped her lips before she slowly sunk down into the water._

 _The sight of her head slowly disappearing, leaving only her shy eyes above the water was a very comical sight, and before Link could even resist, a laugh escaped his lips._

 _This time, the shy eyes **also**_ _disappeared beneath the waters, with only the fin at the top of her head being above the water- which, of course, caused whatever restraint Link had managed to build up in the last second to end up tumbling down as a full-blown laughter escaped his lips._

 _Soon, the even the fin could not be seen anymore- the princess now fully submerged in water. Link quickly walked forward to the edge of the platform and peered down. Not being able to see the pretty Zora, his laughter stopped and a worried frown appeared on his face._

 _"Uh, princess?" Link called out hesitantly. When there was no reply, panic started to seep into his heart. "Princess? Princess!"_

 _After a good ten seconds of tense waiting, there was still no sight of the Zora. Link was really worried now- the princess couldn't have drowned, could she?_

 _He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he summoned every ounce of courage he had. He had still not learned how to swim, but hell if he did nothing while someone else's life was in danger._

 _Just as he was about to jump in, a soft giggle floated pass his ears, causing his entire body to freeze. Slowly, he turned his head towards the left where the sound had come from- and lo and behold, there was the Zora princess, perfectly healthy and fine and **swimming-**_

 _He then realised that it was a **Zora** he had been worried about drowning. He had forgotten that unlike Hylians- who could not possibly have mastered swimming at such a young age- the Zora would definitely have already mastered it. It was literally their home ground._

 _His cheeks burned with embarrassment, and he was pretty sure it was extremely obvious by the way the giggles became even louder._

 _He shot a weak glare at the Zora princess as said Zora shot up from the water and landed right beside him._

 _"...I wasn't worried. At all." Link muttered just loud enough for the Zora Princess to hear, his eyes moving away from her to avoid her gaze. From the corner of his eye, however, he could see the knowing smile that appeared on the little Zora's face._

 _"Sure you weren't," Her voice was gentle and soothing- with a hint of teasing- and Link couldn't even find it in himself to get angry over her playing with his feelings like that._

 _Technically, he had been the one to instigate the whole fiasco. It was a fair retribution._

 _Link sighed in defeat. "You win," He grumbled softly, and the soft peals of laughter from his side caused his heart to finally calm from the excitement before._

 _A glint suddenly appeared in his eyes, before turning his entire body to face her and giving her a ridiculously large grin, all thoughts of the warnings his father had given him flying right out of his mind's window._

 _"Hi, I'm Link! May I know what's your royal highness name?" He asked cheekily, stretching out his hand. A guilty satisfaction entered his heart when he saw the Zora princess' stunned look, and the subsequent tint of red on the Zora's cheeks made his satisfaction even greater._

 _However, he kept his hand out. Even though it was a ploy to payback for the earlier teasing, he truly wanted to make a friend, and a slight nervousness entered his heart as he waited for the Zora girl to react._

 _The Zora girl stared at the hand for a seemingly long moment- though it could not have been any more than three seconds- before finally stretching out her own hand._

 _"I-I'm Mipha," She said, her playful demeanor completely replaced by a shy one as she stuttered. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath, and then gripped his hand tightly before looking up and giving him a tentative but sincere smile._

 _"It's good to meet you, Link."_

* * *

Link's body shot up with a gasp, his eyes travelling to the exact spot where Mipha had been standing in his memory- not even five feet away from him. His eyes then travelled across the entire reservoir- the lake, Vah Ruta, the mountains, the setting sun.

A lone tear slid down his cheek.


	11. Chapter 11

**Enjoy!**

 **~Kuntakintae**

* * *

 **Zelda**

Zelda immediately knew that something was awry the moment Link stepped into the room. She didn't know how- Link's face was as impassive as usual and his body language gave away no clues at all-, but it was an instinct that screamed at her that Link was, at the moment, not in a pleasant mood.

She was, however, uncertain- after all, the Link in front of her was not exactly the same Link from a century ago. Her instincts may have been right last time, but in the present time, she had no idea if it was still as accurate- or if it had dulled and become outdated.

Her eyes followed Link as he walked towards the simple seat beside her bed and sat down, observing him carefully as he stared at the window in silence. The sun had already set a few hours ago, and the full moon hung brightly in the night sky- along with an entourage of twinkling stars that glittered prettily.

Zelda herself had been staring out of the same window just before he came in- having awoken from a long nap since the afternoon. Her thoughts had been trapped in the past as she had reminiscence over the time she had spent in the Zora domain a century ago, accompanied by the heavy and painful feelings that clawed at her heart.

It was the same sky, the same stars- but a different world, a different earth, with only bits and pieces of the past left for her to remember by.

His visit had brought her out of her gloomy mood, giving her a pleasant surprise. However, her uplifted mood had not lasted long when she realised that something was wrong with him.

Zelda waited, but even after a few minutes, not a word came from Link. Strangely enough, Zelda did not feel awkward nor did she feel as if the silence was out of place.

In the distant past, when they had traveled together in the wilderness, when their relationship had eventually improved and they slowly became each other's most trusted confidant, even then he had not spoken much.

Their time had either been spent in peaceful, comfortable silence, or simply just her speaking about everything and anything under the sun while Link silently listened with a small smile on his face, adding in a comment or two every once in a while.

But there were times when Link was _especially_ quiet, and those were the times when Zelda knew something was wrong with Link. The way Zelda handled those times were simply to keep quiet, and patiently wait for Link to speak.

From experience, she had learned that trying to coax it out of him would only make him unwilling to share, while simply patiently being by his side and accompanying him in his silence would eventually lead to results.

So, she decided to do just that- like how she did in the past, she simply relaxed, kept quiet and shifted her gaze to the window once again, accompanying Link to stare at the sky in silence.

Her thoughts wandered, and a small, sad smile appeared on her face as she reflected on the past, and how much the champions had changed her, how much _Link_ had changed her.

During her younger years, she had _hated_ silence. When her mother had passed away, something in her father had broken, and he had stopped treating her like a daughter and more like a subject. She had had no friends to communicate with, no family she could confide in, _nothing._

Most of her time had been spent in the quiet of the cathedral- praying and praying fruitlessly to a goddess that never spoke a single word to her, with nothing to gain and- she thought sadly- nothing really much to lose.

Her life from the time her mother passed away when she was five, to the time she met Link at the age of 16 had been filled with a lonely silence.

Then, out of nowhere, her four champions suddenly barged into her dreary life. The empty void in her heart, the gloomy silence in her life was suddenly shattered by the annoyed mutterings of a Rito, the gentle words of a Zora, the boisterous laughter of a Goron and the cocky yet caring voice of a Gerudo.

It was as though the goddesses had decided to finally be kind to her, and blessed her with genuinely caring and kind people to be friends with. She had re-established her slightly distant relationship from her surrogate mother Urbosa, made good friends out of both Revali and Daruk, and even became a sworn sister to Mipha.

With Link, however, it had been much more shaky. She had started by hating him- he was a living reminder of her failures. Whilst her relationship with the other champions improved dramatically, her relationship with the champion she stayed with the most got worse and worse.

She often wondered- after their relationship had been mended, of course- why Link had given her a second chance. She had been far from pleasant towards him, and had- she shamefully remembered- shouted at him on many occasions like a small child throwing a tantrum.

Through all that, Link had kept his silence- but that had only made her angrier. She had been extremely insecure and downtrodden about her uselessness and inability at that period of time, and had taken his silence as a form of him looking down on her, so much so that he deigned not to even reply her.

His silence also reminded her of the silence from her father, from the councilors that once treated her nicely, but completely ignored her after finding out she was useless, from the friends-maids- she had when she was young that stopped talking to her after her father had stopped caring for her like a daughter.

Then, one day, she had- contrary to what people would expect from a princess supposedly holding the triforce of wisdom- foolishly ran away from him into the desert by herself whilst visiting the Gerudo, and had been trapped by the Yiga clan. It was then that he had come into save her life, and it was then she had finally decided to throw away her petty thoughts and feelings and begin anew with him.

But it was only after their relationship had mended did she know exactly to how absolutely foolish and misguided her initial thoughts and opinions had been. The more she got to know him, the more respect she had for him, and her understanding of him grew.

He did not speak to her not because he looked down on her, nor was it because he had been angry with her due to her attitude towards him.

When she had heard that he refrained from speaking due to the fact that he, as the chosen one, was worried that his words would inadvertently cause harm due to them carrying much more weight as compared to the words of an ordinary person, shame, guilt and self-deprecation had flooded into her.

It was then that she finally accepted the fact that yes, she was less deserving and less capable than the man whom she had - she realised soon enough- imposed all her bitterness and self-hatred accumulated over the years onto.

After that, she came to appreciate his silence. His silence became a place where she could actually _enjoy_ quiet and peace. She had never known that sharing a comfortable and peaceful silence with another person could help her relax so much until she met Link.

His presence had a strange effect- perhaps it was the safety he provided, or perhaps it was the fact that she knew he did not expect anything out of her- but his presence and his silence never failed to soothe her frayed nerves and chaotic emotions.

While the four champions consistently talked and made her life interesting, Link had been the one to provide a place for her to hide away from the World and its issues- a place where she could just relax her mind, body and soul.

There had been a day, when their relationship had grown to be as close as the best of friends- and maybe even more- she had asked him why he had given her a second chance. She knew she did not deserve it- she was the _least_ deserving of it. She had no right to find such a close and trusted friend in such a loyal and kind person.

She never got the answer. All she had gotten was a small smile, a gentle look and a shake of the head. After that, she never tried to ask again. She knew that if Link did not want to answer, there was no way to get it out of him.

"I...remembered about Mipha," Link's quiet voice was barely audible, stopping Zelda's train of thoughts. She pushed the nostalgia away, and shut off her thoughts, leaning forward so that she could hear Link better. "Back at the bridge, when we arrived, and just a few hours ago, at the reservoir."

Zelda felt a twinge of pain when Mipha's name was mentioned, but she kept a lid on her own feelings. This was Link's time, and she wasn't about to ruin it with her own feelings.

"What was it about?" Zelda asked softly, in the most soothing and gentle voice she could use. Link kept quiet for a long moment, staring at the sky, his eyes a million miles away as his thoughts dwelled on the scenes of the past.

"The first time we met," Link replied, before finally tearing his eyes away from the window and looking down at his gloved palm. "The first time we spoke."

A short period of silence ensued- with Zelda trying to find words to comfort him, but shortly after, she gave up. How could she comfort him? Mipha was _dead._ She had been dead for just over a century. No matter what she said, no matter what she did, Mipha would not come back from the dead.

"I wish I had remembered this earlier," Link spoke again, and Zelda could almost _feel_ his pain, as though it was tangible. "I wish I had remembered before I met her spirit."

A huge wave of envy crashed into her. She bit her lip, the blanket bunching up in her hands as she clenched them into fists.

When Link had entered the divine beasts, Zelda's consciousness could not follow Link in- it was as though the divine beast had a defensive barrier that blocked her consciousness from entering with Link. Hence, she did not have the chance to see Link speak to Mipha.

In fact, she herself had not known that Link had been able to speak to the spirit of Mipha until he told her a few weeks after they had defeated Calamity Ganon.

Mipha had been her sworn sister- someone that she held extremely dear in her heart.

It had hurt when she found out that she missed such an opportunity. In the long hundred years of waiting in the darkness, she had thought that she would never be able to speak to her beloved champions- friends- ever again.

To find out that their spirits had stayed on the earth all those years, and yet she had never tried to reach out to them...

Granted, there was a barrier that blocked her out, but perhaps if she tried hard enough, she would have found a way.

"I wish I could talk to her again, one last time," Link's voice broke her out of her self-pity, bringing her back to the present. Her eyes refocused on Link, and utter astonishment and shock filled her when she saw the lone tear travelling down his cheek.

The sight brought about a whole new bout of tumultuous feelings and thoughts, and before she knew it, tears were sliding down her cheeks as well. His heartbreak- she could feel it too. She realized that Mipha had been as precious to him as she had been to herself as well. She might have been sworn sisters with Mipha, but Link and Mipha shared a history that went back all the way to their childhood.

Blatantly ignoring the millions of thoughts that screamed at her not to do it- that it was too risky and too much was at stake- Zelda brought her hand forward, and put it gently on top of Link's clenched fist.

Link's head shot up, and his surprised eyes met her concerned ones. She could see the pain in his eyes- it reflected her own. She knew he could see it too, as the moment their eyes met, his cautious eyes softened, and his body relaxed from its alert posture when she had touched him.

She struggled slightly with what to say, biting her lips as her eyes shifted away from Link's eyes for a moment as she tried to think but couldn't, before deciding to simply be honest with him- to reciprocate his willingness to express his thoughts with her own.

Meeting his eyes again, she blinked away the tears and nodded in understanding. "I wish for that as well, Link," She whispered. Link stared at her for a moment, before bringing his hand up to his face to wipe away the tear stain and then giving her a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Zelda," Link's voice held gratitude this time- he did not try to hide it. She could tell that he was still holding some of his emotions in- that he was still unsure about how vulnerable he could be around her. She was slightly disappointed, but told herself that it was already a huge step that he allowed himself to show even a part of his true thoughts and feelings to her.

"Thank you, too, Link," Zelda replied with a genuine smile. Link gave a small smile and nodded. Zelda then retracted her hand- the skin which had touched his gloved fists tingling slightly. Link then stood up, and took one last long look at the starry sky.

"You should rest, Zelda. You have just recovered. I'm sorry for taking your time," Link told her, his voice back to impassivity. Zelda shook her head.

"Don't apologize, Link. This helped me as well," And indeed it had. She had been holding her emotions in for too long, and Link had presented the opportunity for her to release those thoughts and feelings.

The guilt was still there, as well as the regret and grief, but it felt lighter now.

Link gave her one last smile, before coaxing her to lay back down on her bed before- just like earlier that day- pulling the blanket up to her chin.

"Rest well, Zelda." Link said before making his way out of the room. Zelda almost wanted to call out for him to stop, and ask him to stay with her for the night, but she bit back the question. It was still too early for that.

They had not spoken much- only a few sentences, but those few words meant a thousand other things.

Nevertheless, she was not disheartened- there had been progress, and that was all she asked for.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the late update! I've been pretty busy haha**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter! As usual, constructive criticisms are welcome, as well as you know, reviews to support HAHA**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~Kuntakintae**

* * *

 **Link**

Link sighed softly as he stared forlornly at the gigantic machine sitting in the middle of the lake, his eyes glassy and having a faraway look as his mind wandered through his memories of an age long past.

It had been three weeks since they had arrived at the Zora's domain, and two weeks since Zelda had awoken from her traumatic blackout.

It had _also_ been two weeks since he had recovered the memory of his time spent with Mipha. In fact, he was sitting at the exact same spot where he had regained it.

Ever since that precious memory, he had revisited the reservoir every single day- always sitting at the same spot, always staring at the same sights. He would be there to watch the sun rise from the eastern side of the mountains, and he would be there to watch the sun set on the western side. Only when all signs of the sun had disappeared- and when the moon shone high in the sky did he deign to return to the city and check on Zelda.

He sighed softly again as he thought back to the past two weeks. His feelings had- for lack of better words- been on a roller coaster ride, but for good reason.

The memories that he had lost- specifically those related to the time he had spent in the Zora's domain a century ago- had started to resurface, trickling back into his mind at a painfully slow but steady rate.

Whenever he walked across the beautiful bridges that criss-crossed the city, scenes of him playing and chasing other Zora children would suddenly emerge in his mind. Whenever he entered the inn, scenes of him having a meal with his father and listening to the countless stories of his adventures during his younger days would dominate his thoughts. Whenever he walked past the city main square, scenes of him training his swordsmanship with the older Zoras would flood into him.

They brought him pain, but also comfort. They brought him sorrow, but also joy. They brought him sadness, but also happiness.

However, the emotions that consistently assaulted his heart always felt the strongest and the most intense whenever he sat at the platform facing the East Reservoir Lake.

After that day when he had recovered his memory of his first interaction with Mipha, he never failed to gain back another memory whenever he returned to the platform. Over the past two weeks, the person whom he had gained the most memories of had been the late Princess of the Zora.

Whenever he went to the platform, he would simply sit there and immerse himself with the surroundings- the sound of the crashing waves, the gentle breeze of the wind, the caws of the birds, the rustle of the leaves in the mountains. He never had to try or force his mind to try to remember- the memory would come suddenly without warning and assault his mind and heart.

The memories would never come in chronological order. The second time he had come to the platform, the memory he had recovered had been a year or two after the first one. The third time had been somewhere in the middle of the first two memories, and the fourth...

All in all, the memories never came in order. One memory could be when they were both six years old- and then the next could be when they were ten years old.

Nevertheless, he treasured every, single one of the memories he recovered, and always replayed them endlessly, afraid that it would suddenly disappear into the depths of his mind once again, never to return.

Just a few minutes ago, he had recovered yet another memory of Mipha- this time, it was when they were five. A small smile graced his lips as he replayed the scene again.

* * *

 _"You're starting to learn how to fight? I'm starting to learn as well! So cool!" Link's excited voice echoed throughout the sparse, mountainous area. Mipha waved her hands in a panic and swiftly brought a finger to her lips._

 _"Keep it down! You're too loud," Mipha said, before giving a small pout and crossing her arms. "I'm here to train secretly, so I don't need you announcing to the whole world about it."_

 _"Train secretly? Why?" Link asked, perplexed. Mipha let out a huff of annoyance after hearing his question._

 _"My Father and the elders feel that I am still too young to start training, but," She suddenly looked up and glared hard at Link, causing him to jump back in shock and confusion. "You're already training in the sword, and had already started even before four, so why can't I?"_

 _Link's mouth was agape, and his eyes were blasted wide open in shock. His brain ran at a million miles per hour as he tried to think up of something good to say._

 _"M-maybe they're just worried...?" Link said in a tone that sounded a lot more like a question instead of a suggestion. He gasped and took another step back when Mipha's glare intensified._

 _Mipha seemed to want to say more, but didn't really know what to say. Instead, she let out another huff and walked to a brown sack she had carried up with her. Link's already wide eyes somehow widened a fraction more when his eyes landed on the two objects she was carrying._

 _"Here," Mipha's high-pitched and usually timid voice held a hint of forcefulness as she pushed the object into his hands. "Take it."_

 _"W-what do you want me to do with this?" Link asked as he held the wooden spear as though it was a poisonous snake._

 _"Isn't it obvious," Mipha stormed up to him and stopped a foot away from him, her neck craning upwards as she had to look up to meet his eyes. "Practice with me."_

 _Link stared at her face- with that cute pout and large, reptilian eyes that was filled with determination and stubbornness- and eventually gave in with a sigh._

 _"I'm not really very proficient with the spear though..."_

 _"You're more proficient than me!" Mipha's retorted in a slightly annoyed voice, a small frown marring her face but somehow still managing to look cute. Link felt cold sweat run down his back as he took another two steps back._

 _"But of course," Mipha suddenly calm down and grabbed her own wooden spear, before pointing it at Link, her eyes full of fire brimming within. "I will beat you one day, so you better watch out!"_

 _All younger Link could do was stare at her for a few more seconds in disbelief, before his shoulders slumped down and he nodded while heaving a long, long, resigned sigh- which, of course, jump-started the young Zora's self-defense mechanism again, bringing about another storm of words and retorts that caused younger Link to immediately regret everything he had done in the past ten minutes._

* * *

He turned his head and stared at the spot that they had trained. He remembered the laughter they had shared as they tired themselves out, the meals they had eaten together under the moonlight, the arguments they had had as they tried to convince the other who had won their sparring sessions.

Those times were long gone, and whatever was left of those times now only resided in the deep recesses of his memory, never to happen again in reality.

His heart felt heavy, and he could not help but breathe out a soft, sad sigh before standing up and walking slowly to the spot where his memories pointed him to. He stood at the spot for a good ten minutes, his mind trapped in the past as he replayed the memory over and over again.

"I've been trying to find out where you've been disappearing off to for the past two weeks. Looks like you were here all along," A loud, cheerful voice broke him out of his trance.

Immediately, his guard went up, and his entire bearing changed. The slight slump of his shoulders were gone, and his body straightened up. Whatever emotions that had been showing on his face completely disappeared, and his face was devoid of emotions.

The changes had been so minuscule, not many would be able to tell that he had adjusted his entire body. However, they would find that the aura he had given before was completely different from after. Before, the aura he gave off was one of melancholy and heaviness. After, the aura he gave off was one of a mountain- firm, strong and silent.

It was an art he had mastered for many, many years- in fact, he had mastered it ever since he had managed to pull out the Master Sword from its stony sheath.

However, the person who had shouted was no simple person- and it also helped that person's case when said person was Sidon. He knew Link better than most in the current era.

"Oh, come on, Link. You don't need to go all defensive and emotionless on me," Sidon said in a close-to-whiny tone which was unfitting for a prince before placing his scaly hand on Link's shoulder. Link, after getting through his surprise and realizing that it was, he relaxed- at least, as much as he could.

Even if it was Sidon, there would always be a reservedness that he would not be able to do away- at least, not in the near future.

He had only ever truly let his guard down around the champions...and Zelda.

"Good to see you too, Sidon," Link greeted back with a small smile. Even if he could not completely relax and let go around Sidon, Sidon was still a very good friend, and Link trusted him much more than he did others. "How did you find me?"

Sidon, after hearing his question, kept silent for a while. The usual grin he had seemed to dim a little, causing a spark of worry in Link.

"What's wrong?" Link asked, a frown of worry marring his face as he studied Sidon. He could tell that Sidon was being hesitant to reply, but for what reason, he did not know.

Sidon seemed to struggle for a few more seconds before sighing and shaking his head, placing the brown sack that he had been carrying over his shoulder down onto the ground.

"Well, I think it's easier I just showed you," Sidon said with a shrug and a smile that did not really fit well with his usual carefree grin.

Link's eyes followed Sidon as he dug through the sack, and his chest felt like it had just been struck by a two ton hammer when he saw what Sidon was extricating from the sack.

"Where..." Link could not even complete his sentence, his voice dying out as he felt as though a huge rock was stuck in his throat. He took a few shaky steps forward, stopping two feet away from Sidon before reaching out and grabbing one of the objects in his hands.

"I haven't seen this since..." Link whispered to himself, the wooden spear quivering as his hand shook uncontrollably. Even after all those years, the wood was still smooth, with no signs of wear and tear or rotting. It had been well maintained.

"...My sister treasured these spears almost as much as her own life," Sidon's voice held a hint of mourning, his eyes swirling with melancholy and sorrow. "She kept them maintained throughout her entire life."

Link stayed silent, eyes focused fully on the spear in his hand. It was painful- _so painful._ His heart felt like there were a thousand needles drilling into it, and his chest felt as though it was being crushed by an elephant.

"After she...passed away, I inherited these two wooden spears, and kept them maintained for the past century," Link tore his eyes away from the spear and met Sidon's eyes. Even though he was unable to say anything now, but he knew that Sidon knew what hew as trying to convey- his utmost gratitude.

After a good five minutes- after Link had finally managed to somewhat calm his raging emotions and bring a stop to his uncontrollable shaking- Link slowly lifted the wooden spear, testing the weight and the grip.

"It feels exactly the same," Link muttered to himself, nostalgia crashing into him wave after wave. Slowly, he got into his battle stance, closing his eyes as his mind traveled to the distant past.

All the sparring sessions he had with Mipha, all the drills they had forced themselves to repeat daily, all the techniques they tirelessly practiced- they all started to flow into his mind like a steady stream.

His body seemed to move on its own, mirroring the stances and drills in the memories. At first, his body had difficulty following the movements- after all, it had been many years since he practiced with the spear. Furthermore, his body had atrophied a lot, and while he had recovered a lot of his lost strength throughout his journey, he was far from his peak condition.

However, after a short while, the awkwardness that he initially felt quietly slipped away, and his body started to move much more precisely and fluidly. It was as though his muscles had been in a dormant state, and were just being awakened by his practice.

A sense of peace and tranquility descended upon his heart, and his previously troubled and unsettled mind calmed. A surge of strength flooded his muscles and veins, and his body started to speed up as he repeated the different sets of drills again and again.

It was only after fifteen minutes, when his entire body was soaked with sweat and he started to pant, did he stop himself and open his eyes to a completely stunned and amazed Sidon. Link felt a small bit of amusement when he saw Sidon's hanging jaw.

"Are you okay?" Link asked, letting a small hint of amusement enter his voice. Sidon, hearing Link, broke out of his daze and gave him a grin. Link frowned when he saw a hint of sadness in it.

"Your spearmanship...reminds me of my sister."

Hearing that, a huge pang of sadness smashed Link. The style that Mipha had used for her spearmanship- both he and her had developed it together when they were young.

Both of them had been prodigies at using the spear. Throughout the many years they trained together, they had- with many trials and errors- managed to formulate and create a style of spearmanship that had eventually became the world's most renowned spearmanship.

To be more specific, it had been Mipha who had improved it to perfection. Link had stopped practicing after he drew the Master Sword.

The thought of Mipha practicing at this very spot alone, going through the movements that they had always done together- it pained his heart, yet he knew that he had had no choice. He had been chosen by the Master Sword, and there was no way that he could have visited Mipha as often as he did during his childhood years with the amount of responsibility he carried then.

"Link," Sidon spoke up, gaining his attention. "The reason why I thought you'd be here was due to these two spears. My sister often brought these two wooden spears here to train by herself."

Link gripped the wooden spear in his hand even more tightly, and it took all his willpower to prevent the tears from escaping his eyes.

"Have you remembered more about her?" Sidon asked, to which Link nodded quietly. Sidon heaved a sigh, and nodded.

"It makes sense. This place was where you two used to spend most of your time together."

Link sensed something strange about the statement, and mulled over it for a bit before finally realizing what was bugging him.

"You had not been born by the time I drew the Master Sword. Why would you know this? Did Mipha tell you?" Sidon simply shook his head, before taking out another object from the sack he brought.

"I read it from here," Sidon's voice was somber, and Link immediately knew what the object was. He had seen it before- even peeked at it before when he was younger.

"Mipha's diary," His voice was barely above a whisper. Sidon nodded.

"I told you that she had written down notes addressed to both you and Zelda. Originally, I wanted to only pass to you the note," Sidon told him as he walked towards Link. "But I changed my mind after seeing you practice with that spear."

Sidon finally placed the precious book into Link's hand, before giving Link a grin that seemed to border between happiness and sadness.

"Through your spearmanship, I can tell that your relationship with her went far beyond what others could see, and even beyond what the words in this book described," Sidon's tone held a rare tone of seriousness. "I'm sure now that she would have wanted you to hold this book."

Link stared at the familiar book in his hand, his emotions once again a raging storm as his hand seemed to burn up while carrying Mipha's diary. He tried to speak, but no words would come out. He tried to tear his eyes away, but they seemed to be stuck to the book like glue.

"I will take my leave now," Sidon's voice floated through his ears, and he sensed Sidon's presence going further and further away. The very last words he heard were barely audible, and he was pretty sure it was not meant for him to hear.

 _"With this, I hope you can regain all your memories of her."_


End file.
